United Neighborhood Houses of New York Annual Fall Conference

This episode is from the WNYC archives. It may contain language which is no longer politically or socially appropriate.

Martin Luther King, Jr. addresses the United Neighborhood Houses of New York conference. He talks about the anachronism of slum housing in the 1960's of the United States.

King speaks generally about poverty and the efforts made to combat it. Poverty is a consequence of multiple evils: lack of education restricting job opportunities, poor housing, fragile family relationships He states that at no time a comprehensive effort to eradicate poverty and it's causes has been mounted.

He discusses the improvements in the dignity of the individual that will be seen once effective anti-poverty programs are instituted. He speaks of both the White and Negro poor, noting that 3/4 of the poor are White.

King goes on to speak of larger social issues. He says that he never intends to become adjusted to racial segregation, to religious bigotry. He says there is no longer a choice between violence and non-violence, there is either non-violence or non-existence.

Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection

WNYC archives id: 72286
Municipal archives id: T2884