king photo  

Volume 4: Symbol of the Movement,

January 1957- December 1958

Chronology

1957

1 Jan

At noon King delivers "Facing the Challenge of a New Age," at Big Bethel AME Church in Atlanta for the local NAACP"s anniversary celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation. In the evening he speaks at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Emancipation Day service in Birmingham.

2 Jan

The Montgomery city commission decides to hire extra police and extend a 5 p.m. curfew for one week to prevent further violence against newly integrated buses. King and other Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) leaders meet with bus company officials to discuss the situation.

3 Jan

After anonymous handbills discrediting him appear in Montgomery"s black community, King dismisses the circulars as a futile attempt to undermine the movement.

6 Jan

King preaches "Great Expectations" at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

9 Jan

At Atlanta University King addresses southern black leaders during a conference organized by the Fellowship of Reconciliation.

10 Jan

In the early morning four black churches and the parsonages of Robert Graetz and Ralph Abernathy are bombed in Montgomery. The Montgomery City Commission halts all bus service in the wake of the morning"s violence. King and Abernathy, in Atlanta for the Southern Negro Leaders Conference on Transportation and Nonviolent Integration at Ebenezer Baptist Church, are forced to return home and miss the opening session. In the afternoon King meets with FBI agents in Montgomery and requests their support in solving the bombings.

11 Jan

While King is still in Montgomery, black leaders in Atlanta name him chairman of the Southern Negro Leaders Conference on Transportation and Nonviolent Integration. King later returns to the conference where he and other leaders issue telegrams to President Dwight Eisenhower, Vice President Richard Nixon and Attorney General Herbert Brownell urging their support in ending southern segregation.

13 Jan

King preaches at Dexter in the morning. In the evening he speaks before an overflow crowd at First Baptist Church in Nashville.

14 Jan

King reportedly collapses while speaking during an MIA meeting at Bethel Baptist Church.

15 Jan

At a Montgomery press conference, King denounces a plan by white business leaders to establish a private bus line. He also downplays reports of his collapse the previous evening. The city commission votes to restore bus service with a 5:15 p.m. curfew and increased police protection.

17 Jan

The Alabama Court of Appeals hears oral arguments on the appeal of King"s March 1956 conviction for violating the state"s anti-boycott laws.

20 Jan

King preaches "Paul"s Letter to the American Christians" at Ebenezer while his father preaches at Dexter.

21 Jan

King delivers "Paul"s Letter to the American Christians" at the 25th Anniversary program of the Minnesota State Pastors Conference in St. Paul. Following the speech, he departs for a National Baptist Convention meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

27 Jan

After a Montgomery police officer finds twelve unexploded sticks of dynamite on the porch of King"s home, King calms the gathering crowd by calling for nonviolence. Later in the morning at Dexter"s Sunday service, King reveals to the congregation his vision of a year earlier in which a divine voice told him to lead the Montgomery movement without fear.

28 Jan

King attends an MIA meeting at Mt. Zion AME Zion Church.

1 Feb

In the New Orleans Coliseum Arena, King speaks at a rally sponsored by the United Clubs, Inc.

4 Feb

During an MIA meeting at St. John"s AME church, King urges the audience to forgive the seven white men charged with acts of violence against integrated buses and boycott leaders.

6 Feb

King"s article, "Nonviolence and Racial Justice," appears in Christian Century.

7 Feb

At noon King recounts "The Montgomery Story" to students in Finney Chapel at Oberlin College. In the afternoon he delivers "Justice Without Violence" at Oberlin"s First Church and later participates in a panel discussion, "The New Negro in the New South."

8 Feb

In New York City King records an appearance for the NBC television program, "The Open Mind." The program is broadcast two days later.

10 Feb

From pulpits across the nation pastors read King"s "For All"A Non-Segregated Society," a message he wrote for Race Relations Sunday sponsored by the National Council of Churches.

11 Feb

In observance of the 48th anniversary of the NAACP, the NBC radio network broadcasts a desegregation progress report featuring pre-recorded messages from King, NAACP Executive Secretary Roy Wilkins, and Los Angeles civil rights attorney Loren Miller.

13 Feb

King tape-records a prayer to be broadcast at the 17 February Brotherhood Sunday Service at Rev. Dudley E. Sarfaty"s First Presbyterian Church in Hoboken, New Jersey. King is in attendance as the Southern Negro Leaders Conference on Transportation and Nonviolent Integration open their second meeting at New Zion Baptist Church in New Orleans.

14 Feb

On the second day of their conference, the Southern Negro Leaders Conference on Transportation and Nonviolent Integration name King president of the organization. After the conference King tells the press of the group"s plans to march to Washington, should Eisenhower fail to speak against segregation.

17 Feb

At the Lansing Civic Center in Michigan, King speaks on behalf of Union Baptist Church, where his uncle, Joel King, serves as pastor.

18 Feb

King appears on the cover of Time magazine.

19 Feb

King speaks at the Quill Club in New York City.

20 Feb

During chapel at the Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey, King delivers "The Philosophy of Non-violence."

24 Feb

Dexter members throw a "bon voyage" party at the church for Martin and Coretta King before they leave Montgomery for their trip to Africa and Europe.

25 Feb

King attends a MIA mass meeting at Maggie Street Baptist Church.

26 Feb

After a half-day of finishing last-minute business at Dexter, King leaves Montgomery in the afternoon for Richmond, Virginia.

27 Feb

King preaches "Remember Who You Are" as part of Virginia Union University"s annual Week of Prayer.

28 Feb

King delivers "Going Forward By Going Backward" at Virginia Union.

1 Mar

King completes his appearances for Virginia Union"s Week of Prayer with "Three Dimensions of a Complete Life."

2 Mar

In the afternoon the Kings leave New York"s International Airport for Gold Coast with Adam Clayton Powell, Ralph Bunche, and A. Philip Randolph. All are to participate in the independence celebrations of the new nation of Ghana.

3 Mar

On route, King"s plane stops in Lisbon, Portugal; Dakar, Senegal; and Monrovia, Liberia, before departing for Gold Coast at 11 p.m. In Monrovia King is met at the airport by Romeo Houghton, president of the Bank of Liberia.

4 Mar

King"s flight arrives in Gold Coast in the early morning.

5 Mar

At an impromptu press conference during a ceremony on the University of Ghana campus, King charges the administration with ignoring the southern racial situation. Following the ceremony King meets Nixon and the vice-president agrees to a future meeting in Washington. That evening King attends the final session of the Gold Coast Legislative Assembly.

6 Mar

At midnight, King joins a crowd gathered in the Accra polo grounds to witness the Union Jack being replaced by the flag of Ghana. At 9:15 a.m. King views the opening of the Parliament of Ghana. In the evening King attends a formal reception at the Christiansborg Castle.

7 Mar

Anglican priest Michael Scott visits an ailing and bedridden King on the Achimota College campus where the Kings are staying during their stay in Ghana.

10 Mar

King hears Scott preach at a Sunday service in the Anglican Cathedral in Accra.

12 Mar

King leaves Accra and flies to Kano, Nigeria.

14 Mar

King arrives in Rome, Italy, in the early morning and sends a cablegram to his congregation letting them know all is well.

17 Mar

King leaves Rome in the afternoon and flies to Geneva, Switzerland.

18 Mar

In the evening King flies from Geneva to Paris, France.

21 Mar

King leaves Paris for London, England.

22 Mar

King tours London; visiting Buckingham Palace, Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

24 Mar

King lunches with writer C. L. R. James. They spend the afternoon talking about the bus boycott, nonviolence, and social change. King leaves London in the evening.

25 Mar

King arrives in New York at 7:15 a.m. He meets with Wilkins and Randolph to plan for the Prayer Pilgrimage.

27 Mar

Before continuing home to Montgomery, King announces to reporters in Atlanta that he expects to meet with Nixon soon to discuss racial conditions in the South.

31 Mar

King preaches at chapel at Talladega College, Talladega, Alabama; in the afternoon he speaks at a forum sponsored by two fraternities.

1 Apr

King reports on his trip to Ghana at an MIA meeting at St. John"s AME Church.

2 Apr

King speaks to the Philadelphia Fellowship Commission, which awards him their National Fellowship Award at a banquet at the Benjamin Franklin Hotel.

3 Apr

King holds a discussion group with Boston University theology students and meets with President Harold C. Case and Professor L. Harold DeWolf. In the evening, King appears in a televised interview on WGBH before he delivers "Justice Without Violence" at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.

5 Apr

In Washington, D. C., seventy-five civil rights leaders meet at Metropolitan Baptist Church to plan the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom. Wilkins, Randolph, and King speak to the press following the meeting.

7 Apr

At Dexter King preaches "The Birth of a New Nation," drawn from his travels in Ghana.

8 Apr

During a meeting at Dexter, King urges the MIA to organize for voting rights and registration.

1

0 Apr

At the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, King offers "A Realistic Look at the Question of Progress in the Area of Race Relations."

11 Apr

A group of St. Louis religious and community leaders meet with King for breakfast at the home of T. E. Huntley, pastor of Central Baptist Church. King flies to Kansas City where he is interviewed by local reporters at the Pickwick Hotel. At St. Stephen Baptist Church King speaks at an NAACP fundraiser. Following the speech King meets with a group of local ministers at the church.

14 Apr

King preaches "The Garden of Gethsemane" at Dexter.

15 Apr

King offers opening remarks at an MIA meeting at Metropolitan Methodist Episcopal Church.

17 Apr

The Kings share slides and stories from their travels in Africa and Europe at a program at Dexter sponsored by the Young Matrons Circle.

19 Apr

King appears at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Memphis on behalf of three black fraternities.

21 Apr

King preaches "Questions That Easter Answers" at Dexter.

23 Apr

King flies to New York City to publicize the Prayer Pilgrimage and confer with co-chairmen Wilkins and Randolph.

24 Apr

In the morning King holds a press conference at the Sheraton Astor Hotel. At a luncheon in the hotel ballroom, King receives the 1957 Social Justice Award from the Religion and Labor Foundation. After accepting the award King delivers "This Is a Great Time to Be Alive."

25 Apr

As the closing speaker at the Conference on Christian Faith and Human Relations in Nashville, King speaks on "The Role of the Church in Facing the Nation"s Chief Moral Dilemma" at Wrightman Chapel, Scarritt College. In the afternoon King speaks at the Fisk Memorial Chapel to open the University Festival of Music and Art.

27 Apr

The Kings celebrate Coretta"s birthday at the Mobile Heights residence of Dexter member Richmond Smiley.

28 Apr

King preaches "The Rewards of Worship" at Dexter. In the evening he attends the piano recital of Altona Johns in the church sanctuary.

30 Apr

An Alabama Appeals Court dismisses King"s appeal of his 1956 conviction for violation of a Montgomery anti-boycott ordinance.

3 May

During three New York appearances King rallies support for the Prayer Pilgrimage. At Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, King speaks at a luncheon of white and black clergy. During the Sabbath Eve service at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, King delivers "The Future of Integration." King finishes the day speaking to a crowd in front of the Hotel Theresa. At Camp Belser in Alabama a group of fifty white ministers, gathered to discuss Christianity and race relations, listen to a tape-recorded message from King.

6 May

Approximately two hundred and fifty black Montgomery residents attempt to register at the Board of Registrars office. King later delivers opening remarks at an MIA meeting on voter registration at Mt. Zion AME Zion Church.

9 May

King speaks at a meeting of the Montgomery Council on Human Relations held at Trinity Lutheran Church.

13 May

King addresses an MIA meeting at Lily Baptist Church.

16 May

Following a sunrise service at First Baptist Church, two hundred Montgomery African Americans depart for Washington, D.C., to take part in the Prayer Pilgrimage. At 9 a.m. King leaves Montgomery, flying first to Atlanta and then on to Washington.

17 May

The District Commissioner of Washington presents King, Wilkins, and Randolph with the key to the Capital. At the Prayer Pilgrimage, King delivers "Give Us The Ballot" at the Lincoln Memorial.

19 May

King preaches at Philadelphia"s Zion Baptist Church.

20 May

During a morning ceremony at the Sheraton Hotel in Philadelphia, the National Conference on Social Welfare honors King for his contribution to human rights. At Enon Baptist Church in Baltimore, King addresses the United Baptist Missionary Convention of Maryland.

21 May

In New York City King receives the "Better Race Relations Award" from the Hotel and Club Employees Local 6 at its headquarters.

22 May

At Bethesda Baptist Church in New Rochelle, New York, King delivers "Facing the Challenge of a New Age" to kick off a membership drive for the local branch of the NAACP.

23 May

At Engle Street Junior High School in Englewood, New Jersey, King speaks to the local Urban League.

27 May

At the end of the first day of the Montgomery church bombings trial, King urges a crowd at Hall Street Baptist Church to "keep faith" regardless of the court"s decision. King also participates in a ceremony celebrating the 48th anniversary of Holt Street Baptist Church.

28 May

King testifies at the Montgomery church bombing trial.

29 May

King speaks at Bethel AME Church in Tallahassee, Florida, at a conference celebrating the anniversary of the Inter-Civic Council.

30 May

After an hour and thirty-five minutes of deliberation, an all-white jury finds two white men not guilty of the 10 January bombing of Hutchinson Street Baptist Church.

1 June

In the evening King meets with members of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at the Kentucky home of Louisville Defender publisher Frank L. Stanley.

2 June

King attends services at Zion Baptist Church in Louisville before leaving for Frankfort, where he delivers "Facing the Challenge of a New Age" at the graduation ceremony of Kentucky State College.

3 June

King holds a press conference in Philadelphia before speaking to the Council on Christian Social Progress at a dinner banquet. He later delivers "Paul"s Letter to the American Christians" to the delegates of the Council"s parent body, the American Baptist Convention.

4 June

King is awarded an honorary degree during commencement exercises at Morehouse College.

5 June

In Atlanta King participates in a committee meeting to consider the ordination of his brother, A. D.; the group unanimously approves the ordination.

6 June

King receives an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from the Chicago Theological Seminary.

7 June

King receives an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Howard University.

9 June

King presides at the ordination service of four deacons at Dexter.

13 June

Following a two-hour meeting with Richard Nixon in Washington, King tells the press at the Raleigh Hotel that the vice-president promised to hold a conference of the President's Committee on Government Contracts in the South.

15 June

At the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, the Utility Club honors King as "Man of the Year."

18 June

King arrives in Dallas for the National Sunday School and Baptist Training Union (BTU) Congress.

21 June

At the Dallas Memorial Auditorium, King delivers "Facing the Challenge of a New Age" for the National Sunday School and BTU Congress"s Booker T. Washington Night.

22 June

King is met at the San Francisco International Airport by a 10-car police motorcade who escort him to the Shattuck Hotel in Berkeley.

23 June

King meets with the Bay Area Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity for breakfast and discussion. In the afternoon King delivers "A Realistic Look at the Question of Progress in the Area of Race Relations" at the Oakland City Auditorium.

24 June

At noon King delivers "Techniques of Persuasion in the Montgomery Bus Boycott" to students at the University of California at Berkeley. He follows his talk with a question and answer session over lunch sponsored by the University YMCA. In the evening King speaks at Evergreen Baptist Church in Oakland.

26 June

King speaks at a "Fight for Freedom" celebration at the Russ Auditorium in San Diego.

28 June

At Detroit"s Henry Ford Auditorium, King receives the NAACP"s Spingarn Medal.

2 July

At Washington Chapel AME Church in tuskegee, King addresses a rally to support the African-American community"s boycott of white merchants.

8 July

In Montgomery King and Abernathy meet with MIA treasurer E. D. Nixon to resolve Nixon"s grievances with the organization.

14 July

King preaches "Overcoming an Inferiority Complex" at Dexter, the first of a series of sermons on "Problems of Personality Integration."

18 July

King delivers the opening prayer during the Reverend Billy Graham"s evangelistic crusade at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

21 July

King preaches "The Mastery of Fear" at Dexter. At First Baptist Church in Montgomery, King preaches "Going Forward by Going Backward" during an afternoon Women"s Day program.

22 July

King speaks at the 110th anniversary of Quinn Chapel AME Church in Chicago.

26 July

King speaks to black and white youth attending the "Encampment for Citizenship" in New York City.

27 July

At Community Church in New York City, King and Ambrose Reeves, the Anglican Bishop of Johannesburg, South Africa, discuss their countries" liberation movements.

28 July

King speaks during two morning services at New York"s Cornerstone Baptist Church.

29 July

King speaks at Atlantic City High School in New Jersey at a "Crusade for Freedom" rally.

1 Aug

King attends the third anniversary celebration of Dexter"s June Club at the home of church member Edgar E. Evans.

4 Aug

King preaches "Factors that Determine Character" at Dexter. King tells the press he is considering whether to intervene in a case challenging segregation of the Montgomery zoo.

5 Aug

King presents gifts to Rosa Parks at an MIA tribute in her honor at Mt. Zion AME Zion Church.

6 Aug

King speaks to the delegates of the Beauty Culturists" League at their convention in New Orleans. King also receives the organization"s Civil Rights Award.

7 Aug

King and other members of the executive board of the Southern Leadership Conference meet at Dexter to plan the following day"s convention agenda.

8 Aug

The third meeting of the Southern Leadership Conference is held at Holt Street Baptist Church in Montgomery. The organization"s name is changed to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and King announces the launching of a "Crusade for Citizenship," a massive voter registration drive in the South. A mass meeting at Holt Street ended the two-day session.

11 Aug

King preaches "Conquering Self-Centeredness" at Dexter to close his sermon series on "Problems of Personality Integration."

12 Aug

King delivers "Propagandizing Christianity" at the American Baptist Assembly Missions Conference in Green Lake, Wisconsin.

14 Aug

King speaks to the NAACP Milwaukee Branch at Grand Avenue Congregational Church.

16 Aug

King meets with United Auto Workers president Walter Reuther in his Detroit office.

18 Aug

At Central Methodist Church in Detroit, King delivers "Paul"s Letter to the American Christians."

19 Aug

On the UAW "Shiftbreak" radio program, King voices his qualified approval of the Senate version of the civil rights bill.

25 Aug

At Old Ship AME Zion Church in Montgomery, King speaks as part of the church"s Men"s Day program.

2 Sept

In Monteagle, Tennessee, King delivers "A Look to the Future" at Highlander Folk School"s twenty-fifth anniversary program.

4 Sept

King addresses the Laymen"s Movement of the National Baptist Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.

8 Sept

King is the guest preacher at Zion Baptist Church in Louisville.

9 Sept

In Montgomery, the Kings lunch with writer John Oliver Killens, director Jeffrey Hayden, and pastor Robert Graetz to discuss plans for a movie based on the Montgomery story.

10 Sept

King attends the MIA executive board meeting.

19 Sept

King delivers "A Realistic Look at Progress in the Area of Race Relations" at Steward Chapel AME Church in Macon, Georgia.

22 Sept

At Liberty Baptist Church in Atlanta, King preaches "Our God Is Able" for the Annual Men"s Day program.

2 Oct

King delivers "The Future of Integration" at the United Packinghouse Workers of America convention in Chicago.

10 Oct

At Orchestra Hall in Chicago, King is among the speakers at a program entitled "The Negro Southerner Speaks," sponsored by the United Negro College Fund.

13 Oct

King presides at the morning service at Dexter.

16 Oct

King meets with Randolph and Wilkins in New York. They agree that NAACP and SCLC fund-raising and voter registration efforts should not compete for funds or duplicate services.

18 Oct

King attends an SCLC executive board meeting at Ebenezer.

23 Oct

King presides at the annual business meeting of Dexter. During his presentation of the annual report, King is informed that his wife has given birth to a son, Martin Luther King, III.

27 Oct

King preaches "The Things That Are God"s" at Dexter. Following services King is interviewed at the church for the NBC television program, "Look Here." An act of sabotage against the local television station"s broadcast tower prevents the program from being seen in southern Alabama.

30 Oct

At First Baptist Church in Fairmont, North Carolina, King delivers the main address at the General Baptist State Convention.

4 Nov

King meets with SCLC executive board members at Mt. Olive CME Cathedral in Memphis.

5 Nov

King addresses a rally at Mt. Olive following a one-day SCLC meeting.

6 Nov

King attends a MIA executive board meeting.

8 Nov

At Sale Hall, Morehouse College, King speaks at a leadership training school sponsored by the Atlanta District Sunday School and BTU Congress.

9 Nov

King delivers "A Look to the Future" at the annual convention of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. in Washington, D.C.

10 Nov

At Howard University"s Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel in Washington, D.C., King delivers "Love Your Enemies" during the convocation of the School of Religion.

12 Nov

King speaks on behalf of the Jamaica, New York, branch of the NAACP at Lost Battalion Hall in Queens.

16 Nov

King, Wilkins, and Clarence Mitchell address a southern regional conference of the NAACP on voter registration in Atlanta.

17 Nov

King preaches "Loving Your Enemies" at Dexter.

21 Nov

King speaks at Roosevelt University in Chicago.

26 Nov

King strikes a deal with Montgomery officials: he agrees to pay a $500 fine related to his participation in the bus boycott, while the circuit solicitor agrees to drop all charges against the remaining 89 defendants. The solicitor also dismisses charges against the men accused of the racially motivated church and home bombings of 10 January.

1 Dec

King preaches "Structure and Destiny" at Dexter.

3 Dec

At Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, King delivers "The Oneness of Man in American Intergroup Relations" for the General Assembly of the National Council of Churches. King joins fellow conferees at a reception at the City Art Museum of St. Louis.

4 Dec

In the morning King speaks during an assembly at Graham Chapel, Washington University in St. Louis. He later delivers "The Christian Way of Life in Human Relations" during the National Council of Churches conference.

5 Dec

At Holt Street Baptist Church, King delivers "Some Things We Must Do" during the MIA"s second annual Institute on Non-Violence and Social Change.

6 Dec

King introduces the main speaker at Mount Zion AME Zion Church as part of the MIA annual institute.

7 Dec

At First CME Church in Montgomery, King participates in a panel discussion of "Freedom and Dignity Through Civic Responsibility."

8 Dec

King preaches at Dexter. He later attends a mass meeting, which concludes the MIA institute at Old Ship AME Zion Church.

11 Dec

King is re-elected to the MIA board of directors.

12 Dec

King offers the opening and closing prayers at a forum on "The Role of the Church in Solving Contemporary Problems" at Dexter.

13 Dec

King speaks at Dexter"s Eightieth Anniversary Banquet.

15 Dec

At Dexter"s Eightieth Anniversary worship service King introduces guest preacher Mordecai Johnson.

18 Dec

King attends a MIA budget committee meeting.

19 Dec

King attends the SCLC executive board meeting at Ebenezer.

22 Dec

King preaches at Dexter.

27 Dec

King is honored by the Philadelphia Cotillion Society at the Convention Hall in that city.

29 Dec

King preaches "God is Able" at Bright Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia.

1958

2 Jan

Following a testimonial dinner in his honor, King delivers "Facing the Challenge of the New Age" during the Emancipation Day celebration at First Baptist Church, Newport News, Virginia.

6 Jan

At a Dexter board meeting King discusses his need for a pastoral assistant and new office space.

8 Jan

King speaks at the City Club of Rochester, New York.

9 Jan

At the New York City office of his agents Marie Rodell and Joan Daves, King meets with prospective candidates who will provide editorial assistance in writing his book on the Montgomery protest. At the Town and Country Club of Brooklyn, New York, King addresses the Guardians Association of the New York City Police Department. On behalf of the Guardians, Governor Averell Harriman presents King with an Annual Achievement Award.

10 Jan

At the NAACP national office in New York City, King presents Wilkins with a check for $1,000 for two life memberships, one for himself and one for the MIA.

12 Jan

Father and son switch pulpits; King preaches "Structure and Destiny" at Ebenezer while his father preaches at Dexter. At Orchestra Hall in Chicago, King delivers "What is Man?" for the Sunday Evening Club.

13 Jan

King dines at the home of Rabbi David Polish prior to speaking on the "Desirability of Being Maladjusted" at Beth Emet the Free Synagogue in Evanston, Illinois.

14 Jan

At the Veterans Memorial Building in Columbus, Ohio, King speaks at a fund raiser for the local branch of the NAACP.

15 Jan

King attends a morning meeting of the President"s Committee on Government Contracts at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D. C., King later speaks on "The Montgomery, Alabama Story" at the Walnut Hills High School Auditorium on behalf of the Jewish Community Center Forum in Cincinnati.

18 Jan

King meets with the members of a Dexter committee who agree to their pastor"s request to hire an assistant pastor.

19 Jan

During the Sunday services at Dexter the congregation unanimously approves King"s requests to hire an assistant pastor and to build new office space.

20 Jan

King is re-elected MIA president at the organization"s executive board meeting. King attends a meeting of the Dexter coordinating council.

30 Jan

At Ebenezer the SCLC executive committee meets for an all-day planning session. At a press conference following the meeting, King discusses plans for the 12 February launching of the Crusade for Citizenship. The Hindustan Times publishes King"s tribute to Gandhi, "His Influence Speaks to World Conscience."

31 Jan

King presides over an executive committee meeting of the MIA.

10 Feb

At the all-white Broughton High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, King delivers "Non-Violence and Racial Justice" on behalf of the United Church of Raleigh.

11 Feb

King speaks at Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina for the local branch of the NAACP.

12 Feb

King addresses a mass meeting in Miami to launch SCLC"s Crusade for Citizenship. Twenty simultaneous mass meetings are held that day in cities throughout the South.

13 Feb

The Secret Place publishes King"s "No Vengeance."

16 Feb

King preaches "Not By Bread Alone" at Dexter.

20 Feb

At Mills College in Oakland, King delivers "A Realistic Look at Progress in the Area of Race Relations."

22 Feb

In Asilomar, California, King speaks on "Freedom Through Non-Violence" at the American Friends Service Committee"s Conference on Civil Liberties for High School Students.

23 Feb

King speaks at Third Baptist Church in San Francisco. At Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles, King addresses an NAACP rally against job discrimination.

25 Feb

King begins a three-day speaking engagement at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He delivers "A Great Time to be Alive" at a graduate and faculty luncheon. In the evening King speaks on "Facing the Challenge of a New Age."

26 Feb

During a dinner for Caltech faculty and alumni King delivers "Progress in Race Relations."

27 Feb

King concludes his visit to Caltech.

2 Mar

King preaches at Dexter. In the evening Martin Luther King, III is blessed during a service at the church.

9 Mar

At Oak Wood Cemetery in Montgomery, King officiates at the funeral of Mary Harris, sister of Dexter Deacon T. H. Randall.

10-12

Mar King preaches at the Detroit Council of Churches" Noon Lenten Services at Central Methodist Church.

11 Mar

After speaking at the Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Highland Park, Michigan, King attends a reception at the Statler Hotel in Detroit.

12 Mar

Following his final sermon for the Detroit Council of Churches, King speaks at Second Baptist Church in Detroit as part of the cultural committee"s "Forum Series."

14 Mar

In Detroit King meets with Congressman Charles C. Diggs, Jr., to discuss the SCLC voter registration drive. Diggs takes King on a tour of his businesses. King preaches at Trinity Baptist Church in Pontiac, Michigan.

16 Mar

King preaches at Dexter.

16-22 Mar

In observance of Negro Newspaper Week, radio stations across the country broadcast King"s pre-recorded remarks on the importance of the black press.

23 Mar

King preaches "I Thirst" at Dexter.

26 Mar

King preaches at St. James Presbyterian Church in New York City.

6 Apr

King preaches on "The Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth" in the morning at Dexter. On the steps of the state Capitol in Montgomery, King addresses the Prayer Pilgrimage protesting the electrocution of Jeremiah Reeves.

9 Apr

King delivers "What is Man?" and "The Peril of Conformity" at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. In the evening King addresses a "Summit Conference on Registration and Votingr" at St. Mark AME Zion Church in Durham.

13 Apr

King preaches "Is It Un-Christian to Judge Others?" at Dexter.

14 Apr

King delivers "Facing the Challenge of a New Age" before a meeting of the John A. Andrew Clinical Society at the tuskegee Institute.

15 Apr

In Evanston, Illinois, King speaks on "The Crisis in Human Relations" for Northwestern University"s Mars Lecture series.

16 Apr

King delivers his second Mars Lecture series talk, "The Christian Answer."

20 Apr

King delivers "Facing the Challenge of a New Age" at the Community Church of Boston. He later accepts an award from the Massachusetts Council for Civil Rights at Boston"s Freedom House.

23 Apr

King delivers "The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life" at a chapel service at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. In the evening King dines with faculty members of Lycoming College, Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He later participates in a question and answer period with students.

24 Apr

At a morning assembly at Lycoming, King speaks on "Facing the Challenge of a New Age."

27 Apr

The congregations of Dexter and First Baptist Church worship jointly in a "Re-Dedicatorial Worship Service." King offers a morning prayer at the service.

28 Apr

King presides at the Dexter Spring Lecture series, which features Clarence Jordan of Koinonia Farm, Americus, Georgia.

29 Apr

At the SCLC office in Atlanta, King and members of the personnel committee interview John L. Tilley for the position of executive director.

30 Apr

King attends a meeting of the SCLC executive board at Ebenezer.

4 May

King preaches "The Unpardonable Sin"at Dexter.

11 May

King preaches "The Problem of Unanswered Prayer" at Dexter.

14 May

King speaks on "Perspective for Human Relations" during the biennial convention of the American Jewish Congress at the Carillon Hotel in Miami Beach.

15 May

King attends a luncheon in his honor at St. John"s Episcopal Church in Detroit and later preaches at St. Paul"s Episcopal Cathedral as part of the "Christ, the Church, and Race" conference, sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan.

16 May

At Detroit"s Veterans" Memorial Building, King delivers the keynote address for the "Christ, the Church, and Race" conference. In the evening, he speaks at Ecorse High School near Detroit.

17 May

King, in Houston to deliver a graduation speech, attends a reception at the Erma Hughes Business College auditorium.

18 May

King speaks at the 25th commencement of Hughes College at St. John Baptist Church in Houston.

25 May

King preaches "Did Jesus Believe in Chance?" at Dexter.

26 May

King delivers the commencement address at Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach.

27 May

King addresses the graduates during commencement at Agricultural, Mechanical and Normal (AM&N) College in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

28 May

King attends the SCLC executive board meeting in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

29 May

King participates in SCLC"s first full meeting of the year at Haven Methodist Church in Clarksdale; he later addresses the conference delegates at a mass meeting at First Baptist Church.

June

CORE publishes "A First Step Toward School Integration" with a foreward by King.

1 June

King preaches "Did Jesus Disapprove of Wealth?" at Dexter.

2 June

King receives an honorary degree and is commencement speaker at Morgan State College in Baltimore.

3 June

King delivers "Paul"s Letter to the American Christians" at the founding convention of the United Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. in Pittsburgh.

8 June

King receives an honorary degree and addresses the graduating class at Central State College in Wilberforce, Ohio.

9 June

In Washington King meets with Eisenhower administration officials to plan a meeting between the president and black leaders.

15 June

King preaches "Will Christ Visibly Return to Earth?" at Dexter.

16-17 June

King attends the American Baptist Convention in Cincinnati.

18 June

King addresses the National Sunday School and Baptist Training Union Congress in Omaha.

19 June

King is elected vice president of the National Sunday School and BTU Congress.

22 June

King preaches on "The Nature of Heaven" at Dexter. King, Wilkins, Randolph, and Lester Granger meet in Washington to prepare for their meeting with President Eisenhower.

23 June

President Eisenhower discusses race discrimination with King and other black civil rights leaders at the White House. Following the meeting, the group answer questions from the press.

24 June

In Chicago King delivers "The Role of the Church in the Present Racial Crisis" at First Presbyterian Church"s 125 anniversary banquet.

26 June

King speaks at Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton, New Jersey.

27 June

King delivers "Nonviolence and Racial Justice" at the American Friends General Conference in Cape May, New Jersey.

29 June

King preaches on "The Nature of Hell" at Dexter.

1 July

King speaks on behalf of the Prince Hall Masons in Columbus, Georgia.

2-3 July

King attends the SCLC administrative committee meeting at Ebenezer.

6 July

King preaches "The Mystery of Life" at Dexter.

9-11 July

King attends the annual NAACP convention in Cleveland.

12 July

At Dexter, King officiates at the funeral of former church member William J. Cole.

13 July

King attends the Men"s Day program at Dexter featuring Arthur D. Gray, president of Talladega College.

17-29 July

The Kings vacation in Mexico City and Acapulco.

31 July

King delivers "A Knock at Midnight" at the Alabama State Sunday School and BTU Congress at Selma University.

3 Aug

King preaches "Catching the Wrong Train" at Dexter.

4 Aug

King introduces the main speaker, Gandhian disciple Kaka Kalelkar, at an MIA mass meeting at Mt. Zion AME Zion Church.

10 Aug

King preaches "In Life"s Storms" at Dexter.

14 Aug

At Galilee Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana, King speaks on behalf of a voter registration drive sponsored by the United Christian Movement.

17 Aug

King preaches "The Greatest Power in the World" at Dexter.

21-22 Aug

At Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, King delivers "The Dimensions of a Complete Life" and "What is Man?" for the National Conference on Christian Education sponsored by the United Church of Christ.

23 Aug

King is among 48 signers of a petition to the Montgomery Park and Recreation Board requesting unrestricted use of the all-white public parks.

24 Aug

King preaches "Going Forward by Going Backwards" at Central Methodist Church in Detroit.

31 Aug

King preaches "A Knock at Midnight" at Central Baptist Church in Pittsburgh.

1 Sept

King attends a MIA mass meeting and Stride Toward Freedom autographing party at First Baptist Church.

3 Sept

While attempting to attend the arraignment of a man accused of assaulting Abernathy, King is arrested outside Montgomery"s Recorder"s Court and charged with loitering. He is released a short time later on $100 bond.

5 Sept

King is convicted of disobeying a police order and fined $14. King chooses to spend 14 days in jail, but is soon released when Police Commissioner Clyde Sellers pays his fine. King attends a mass meeting at Bethel Baptist.

7 Sept

King preaches "Getting Along With Other People" at Dexter.

9 Sept

King departs for Chicago to participate in the annual meeting of the National Baptist Convention, USA.

12 Sept

At Detroit"s King Solomon Baptist Church, King addresses the delegates of the National Baptist Convention of America.

13 Sept

King signs copies of Stride Toward Freedom at Lake Meadows Shopping Center in Chicago.

14 Sept

King delivers "A Knock at Midnight" on behalf of the Woman"s Auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention in Chicago.

17 Sept

King appears on Dave Garroway"s NBC morning television program. At Harlem"s Empire Baptist Bookstore, King autographs copies of Stride Toward Freedom on the day of the book"s official release. At St. Augustine Presbyterian Church, King speaks on behalf of the Bronx Division of the Protestant Council of Churches of New York.

18 Sept

On CBS radio"s "The World Tonight," King suggests federalizing southern schools closed to prevent integration. King addresses an SCLC fund raiser at Williams Institutional CME in Harlem.

19 Sept

King is heckled by black nationalists as he speaks at a meeting outside Harlem"s Hotel Theresa to rally support for the Youth March for Integrated Schools.

20 Sept

During a book signing at Blumstein"s Department Store in Harlem, King is stabbed by Izola Ware Curry. He is rushed to Harlem Hospital where a team of doctors successfully removes a seven-inch letter opener from King"s chest.

22 Sept

Doctors at Harlem Hospital reveal that King has developed pneumonia in his lower right lung.

30 Sept

King holds a press conference at Harlem Hospital.

1 Oct

Ralph Abernathy delivers a message from King to an SCLC meeting in Norfolk, Virginia.

3 Oct

King is released from Harlem Hospital; he begins a three-week convalescence at the Brooklyn parsonage of Sandy Ray.

6 Oct

From Brooklyn King sends words of encouragement to the MIA mass meeting.

16 Oct

King speaks on WEVD radio in New York on "The Psychology Behind Anti-Integration."

17 Oct

Just minutes after hearing King"s testimony, a grand jury indicts Curry for attempted murder.

24 Oct

Upon returning home King is greeted at the airport by a crowd of supporters.

25 Oct

Coretta Scott King delivers remarks prepared by her husband at the Youth March for Integrated Schools in Washington.

26 Oct

King speaks at Dexter for the first time since his stabbing. His brother A. D. serves as guest preacher.

27 Oct

MIA members pay tribute to King at a homecoming celebration at First Baptist Church.

18 Nov

At Dexter"s annual dinner conference, King delivers the church"s annual report.

28 Nov

King attends a MIA meeting to discuss the need for improved medical facilities to serve Montgomery"s black community.

4 Dec

King delivers the annual address at the MIA"s Third Annual Institute on Non-Violence and Social Change at Mt. Zion AME Zion Church.

5 Dec

At St. John AME Church King participates in an evening seminar, "Non-Violent Resistance," during the MIA annual institute.

7 Dec

King delivers the church anniversary sermon at Dexter. King addresses the concluding assembly of the MIA"s annual institute at First Baptist Church.

9 Dec

King attends the SCLC administrative committee meeting at Ebenezer.

10 Dec

Following an SCLC executive board meeting at Ebenezer, King speaks at a mass meeting at Wheat Street Baptist Church in Atlanta.

12 Dec

King speaks at Cadle Tabernacle, on behalf of the Senate Avenue YMCA in Indianapolis.

14 Dec

King preaches "Worship At Its Best" at Dexter.

21 Dec

King preaches "Christ, Our Starting Point" at Dexter.

28 Dec

King preaches at Dexter.

 © The Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr.