As part of our 150th birthday, the Orlando Sentinel will reprint articles from our archives as part of our Monday Memory feature. Here’s one from nearly 62 years ago, March 7, 1964, about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s only public appearance in Orlando. This story, which appears as it was published in what was then a segregated southern city, contains language that was used at the time that might offend some readers today. It is offered for historical perspective. The headline was “2,000 hear King push mix ‘now,” and was reported by Buck Liedel of the Sentinel staff.
Braving chilling wind and temperatures in the 50’s, about 2,000 Negroes with a sprinkling of whites filed into Tinker Field grandstand last night to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. make another of his fiery speeches for “integration now.”
The non-violent action proponent repeated many of the statements he had made earlier in the day to a group of Negro pastors from all over Florida and added advice as to what the Negro must do to bring about total immediate integration.
King and earlier speakers urged the Negro to exercise his right to vote. He told of the difficulties encountered by the Negro attempting to register in some areas, but said in other places the Negro failed to register merely because of “complacency, indifference and laziness.”
Rapping sharply at office holders who King said were avowed segregationists, he told his audience, “There is no reason for Florida to have a governor or senators who are segregationists.”
One of the speakers, who also presided over the rally, was the Rev. Curtis J. Jackson, a candidate for Orlando City Commission, who asked for the support of both Negro and “liberal white” voters.
Coverage of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s visit to Orlando, as it appeared in our evening newspaper, the Orlando Evening Star. The Sentinel’s coverage ran on Page 4 of the C section. (Sentinel file)
King, who received a standing ovation as he came out on the infield, opened his talk with the statement that the “wind of change is sweeping out an old order and sweeping in a new order in America.”
He said, “in spite of loud noises from places such as Alabama and Mississippi, segregation is on its deathbed and the only thing left to be seen is how expensive its funeral is going to be made by segregationists.”
He told his Negro listeners that they had a number of challenges to meet and among these is to make full and constructive use of the freedom they possess. He said they must develop a strong action program to get rid of segregation and to destroy the “myths” that time will solve desegregation problems, and that desegregation cannot be achieved by legislation.
He said action will solve the problem, and legislation may not be capable of abolishing prejudices, but it can end segregation.
“Law,” he said, “can’t make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me.”
A Florida affiliate of the Southern Christian Leaders Conference was formed as the result of a conference workshop conducted yesterday at the Shiloh Baptist Church. The action ties together seven independent local affiliates in the state, including one in Orlando, and is expected to be the keystone for additional units.
Highlight of the workshop was an address by King, SCLC president, who predicted that the SCLC’s 110 affiliates will grow to 250 by the end of 1964.
He referred to the civil rights bill, now before the Senate after having been passed by the House, and urged that Southern Senators opposing the bill be “exposed.”
King said, “I prefer no bill at all if they eliminate the public accommodations and equal employment opportunities provisions.”
Turning to elections, King said that President Johnson, “who is almost certain to be nominated by his party,” has got to be “watched” a little longer to see what he will do when a (civil rights) crisis comes.” However, he added, “President Johnson has much political sagacity — he knows he must have Negro vote.”
King said that nearly one half million new Negro voters have been registered the past 18 months, he expected another 300,000 to be registered “in the next few months.”
In other workshop matters, the Rev. C. K. Steele, Tallahassee pastor and SCLC vice president, said a protest march on Tallahassee will be held March 27 against the state’s “slow haste” in integrating public facilities, and against participation by Florida senators in the expected filibuster over the civil rights bill.