On the recordFebruary 13, 2019
Still I rise, and I rise because I love my country. I rise because it is Black History Month, and I am always, during Black History Month, amazed at what Dr. King called to our attention in his letter from the Birmingham jail. It is one of the great masterpieces of written word in the history of our country. I encourage all people to read his letter from the Birmingham jail. But I think that as important as it is, it is equally as important to read the letter that Dr. King was responding to, because if you don't read the letter he is responding to in his letter, then you cannot totally appreciate the letter from the Birmingham jail. I am not going to read the letter in its entirety. I will just tell you a little bit about it. This letter--I hold a copy of it in my hand--was signed by eight of the leading citizens in the area, members of the clergy, all. These leading citizens were admonishing persons to proceed with caution. Dr. King reminds us, however, that the time is always right to do what is right. They said in their letter, ``But we are convinced that these demonstrations are unwise and untimely.'' The time is always right to do what is right. And I would also add--this is not in Dr. King's retort, but that we should not allow political expediency to trump the moral imperative to do what is right. The time is always right to do what is right. People are saying today: We should wait. We don't have to move now. Let's wait.…
