TEMPE, AZ — Throughout his historic life, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made countless iconic speeches.
From Selma to Memphis, and of course, his groundbreaking I Have a Dream speech from our nation's capital, Dr. King was a skilled orator with the unique ability to make his audience feel on a profound level.
Few people realize Dr. King made a stop in the Valley, speaking to a group of NAACP members at Tanner Chapel A.M.E. Church and also delivering a speech at Arizona State University's Goodwin Stadium in Tempe.
The date was June 3, 1964. The Valley was playing host to greatness.
The speech was titled, "Religious Witness for Human Dignity." According to reports, roughly 8,000 people were in attendance, listening to Dr. King speak for 42 inspiring minutes.
"The wind of change is blowing," Dr. King said as he opened the speech. Later, he called on Congress to pass the landmark Civil Rights Act; at the time, it was being filibustered in the Senate.
Retired Attorney Herb Ely, who would go on to author Arizona's civil rights bill in 1965, was there for the speech on that late Spring day. While most of the memories of the speech from 60 years ago may have faded, the impact Dr. King made on Ely's life has never been lost.
"In terms of inspiration, without any question, I would say that MLK was the most significant inspiration in my life in terms of the things that I do," said Ely.
Ely said Dr. King's courage and practicality were both things he looked up to, especially in terms of getting things done.
Dr. King said, "Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly," and those words must have been heard 2,300 miles away on Capitol Hill; just two weeks later, the Senate would finally pass the Civil Rights Act.
Ironically, the speech Dr. King made in Arizona had largely been forgotten about until about a decade ago when someone came across tapes at a Phoenix Goodwill store that had been donated from the Lincoln Ragsdale Estate –- talk about a historic find!
If you'd like to listen to Dr. King's speech in its entirety, click here.
LIST: 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. Day events and celebrations in the Valley
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