THE PAPERS OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Initiated, by

The King Center

in association with

Stanford University After a request to negotiate with the Albany City Commission on 27July 1962 was denied, King, Ralph Abernathy, William G. Anderson, and seven others are escorted to jail by Police Chief Laurie Pritchett for disorderly conduct, congregating on the sidewalk, and disobeying a police officer. © Corbis. THE PAPERS OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

VOLUME VII

To Save the Soul of America January 1961-August 1962

Senior Editor

Clayborne Carson

Volume Editor

Tenisha Armstrong

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu.

University of California Press Oakland, California

Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr., © 2014 by the Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr. Introduction, editorial footnotes, and apparatus © 2014 by the Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers Project. © 2014 by The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address queries as appropriate to: Reproduction in print or recordings of the works of Martin Luther King, Jr.: the Estate of Martin Luther KingJr., in Atlanta, Georgia. All other queries: Rights Department, University of California Press, Oakland, California.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data King, Martin Luther,Jr., 1929-1968. The papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. V. 7. To Save the Soul of America, January 1961-August 1962 Contents: V. 1. Called to serve, January ig2g-June 1951— V. 2. Rediscovering precious values, July 1951-November 1955— V. 3. Birth of a new age, December 1955-December 1956— V. 4. Symbol of the movement, January 1957-December 1958— V. 5. Threshold of a new decade, January ig5g-December i960— V. 6. Advocate of the social gospel, September 1948-March 1963. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-978-0-520-28269-8 (cloth: alk. paper). 1. Afro-Americans—Civil rights. 2. Civil rights movements— United States—History—20th century. 3. King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968—Archives. 4. United States—Race relations. I. Carson, Clayborne, 1944- . II. Armstrong, Tenisha III. Title.

E185.97.K5A2 2014 323'og2—dc22 91-42336

Manufactured in the United States of America

23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 10 987654321

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-IGG2 (RIGG7) {Permanence of Paper). The thing that is hurting us most is the continued existence of segregation and discrimination, and we think we're rendering a great service to our nation. For this is not a struggle for ourselves alone; it is a struggle to save the soul ofAmerica.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. 23 May 1961 The editors of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers Project wish to acknowledge the generosity of the following major contributors, without whose support this volume would not have been possible.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute Founding Endowment Donors Ronnie Lott/All Stars Helping Kids The Mumford Family-Agape Foundation

Sustaining Contributors Ronnie Lott/All Stars Helping Kids Myra Reinhard Family Foundation/All Stars Helping Kids National Endowment for the Humanities National Historical Publications and Records Commission Stanford University The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Major Contributors Clayborne and Susan Carson Betty A. Williams Curtis and G. Russell Curtis, Sr. Do A Little Fund Fletcher Asset Management, Inc. Google The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Herbert Kurz Leonard Merrill Kurz Lilly Endowment Inc. Jay and Kimberly Mitchell The Peninsula Community Foundation George P. Shultz Andrea McEvoy Spero and Jason D. Spero Woodside Summit Group, Inc.

Patrons John and Carolyn Barnes Bob Ceremsak (Goldman, Sachs & Co.) Wayne Duckworth Mary McKinney Edmonds Bonnie Fisher and Boris Dramov Gwen Gasque James and Jewelle Taylor Gibbs Glenn Holsclaw and Donna Hubbard Heather Jackson Sur-Mamn Jackson Earl W. Lawson and Rachel Idowu Tamara Morales and Albert Frazier Cordell and Carolyn Olive Henry Organ David and Katy Orr Judith and George Prather Joan S. Reid Jim C. Robinson Robert and Sallie Reid Tasto Isaiah Washington L. Tyrone and Kim Willingham Michelle Yee Michelle Yee (in memory of Don Main Yee)

Donors Benjamin Ahmad Althea F. Andersen Bettina Aptheker Barbara Armentrout Darrell and Melanie Armstrong Avago Technologies Paul Bodine and Tamami Shirai Harold and Sara Boyd Vicki Brooks William Brown Evan J. Charkes and Juli A. Steadman Andrew Chase Glenda and Richard Chenier Marsha and Robert Clark Thomas and Jane David John A. Dittmer Lawrence S. Elswit and Bernice Speiser Susan Englander Candace Falk and Lowell Finley George L. Fisher George M. and Helene Fredrickson Jesika and Saumil Gandhi Leonard and Scarlet Gordon William B. Gould IV Arjun Gupta Allan Hammond IV and Linda Darling-Hammond John and Marthelia Hargrove R. Steven and Jeanne Hargrove Jerry M. Harris Cynthia and Alex Harui Charles P. Henry Pete Holloran Michael Honey Roslind C. Hooper Donna Hubbard Gerald W.Jackson and Myra Woods Jackson Benjamin and Audrey Kamin Drue Kataoka Tetsuya and Barbara Kataoka Evelyn Kelsey Amanda Kemp Ravi Kollipara Patricia Krueger Kimberly Lake Deanna F. Lamb Steven F. Lawson Ronald and Shoshana Levy Stacey Leyton and Pierre Barolette Meg Lilienthal Delroy Lindo Kail Lubarsky Karen McAlmon Tag and Joan Mansour Patricia Margulies Steven McNichols Meri H. Mitsuyoshi Borce and Malissa Nastovski Lela Garner Noble Bharathi Nuthi Robert V. Oakford Obama Democratic Club of Silicon Valley M. Brigid O'Farrell and T.J. Glauthier Keisho and Lauren Okayama Steven Phillips Progressive Jewish Alliance Rhonda Racine Kevin and Kathryne Gambell Reeves Jon C. and Carol S. Richards Joel and Rachel Samoff Lucille H. Sansing Silicon Valley Community Foundation Niel and Nancy Sanchez Smit Sterling Stuckey Cheryl Taylor George Tribble Ronald and Sheila Troupe Charles and Margaret Tuggle David Tyack and Elisabeth Hansot Wesley Umeda Sharon Read Veach Merti Walker Stewart Walker Victoria Walker Gail Wentler Christopher L. Williams Constance and Preston Williams Robert and Vicki Wilkins Warren Wilson Rosalind Wolf Peter Zeughauser