On April 4, 1967 at Riverside Church in New York City, Martin Luther King delivered a speech, "Beyond Vietnam",  meticulously outlining the reasons for his public protest against the United State's war in Vietnam. The speech was to create a furor and many, who had previously supported MLK's work, turned against him.  He stated that he realized that "silence is betrayal" and that he had to speak out, even against the very administration that had been supporting his causes.

As we read his courageous words, spoken nearly five decades ago, they resonate today with a ringing clarity. Towards the end of his hour-long speech, he says:

We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered.

These are words to ponder and to act upon.  Join us this semester as we explore ways to become a more "person-oriented" society.

Link here for a full transcript of the speech.