Martin Luther King. Jr was a Baptist church minister and civil-rights activist. He played a pivotal role in the legal ending of racial segregation in the states. On April 4,. 1967 at Riverside Church in New York, he gave the “A Time to Break Silence”, or better known, “Beyond Vietnam” speech. The speech was about the conflict that was currently brewing across in the sea in Vietnam. “We must find new ways to speak for peace in Vietnam and justice throughout the world [...] If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight” (King), King states that if the US government and the audience don’t start doing something to stop the fighting that is happening in Vietnam, they too, will be pulled into the chaotic mess. In the hopes that the US can achieve world peace, King wrote this speech to encourage his people to try and stop the violence. …show more content…
“And of course it’s always good to come back to Riverside church” (King), from this you can infer that King will be talking to a Christian audience and will tailor his speech to the audience's preferences whilst staying relevant to the Vietnam war that was currently happen overseas. Throughout the speech, King mentions the name of God several times, such as “This is the calling of the sons of God, and our brothers wait eagerly for our response” (King) and “We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation”