MLK 55 Years Later — Can the Church Study War No More?
Re-examining the links between militarism and racism
Can the Church “study war no more”?
Join us virtually or in person on April 2nd to mark the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Beyond Vietnam” speech in the place where he delivered it 55 years ago – the historic Riverside Church.
At a time when the justness and necessity of the Vietnam War was still broadly accepted, Dr. King issued a stirring rebuke to the U.S. establishment, naming his own government as “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world.”
We’ll be joined by Bernice King to explore the connections that her father made in that historic speech between the three evils—militarism, racism and materialism—and their impact on Black lives a half century later. With the Quincy Institute President Andrew Bacevich, Dream Defenders founder Phil Agnew, and Rev. Traci Blackmon, and moderated by Pastor Michael McBride, director of the LiveFree campaign, we will examine the road from Iraq to Ferguson to Ukraine and talk about how the Church and the American people can overcome the forces of war and violence to build a more peaceful and just nation and planet.
Featuring
• Music by Common Hymnal
• An inspiring reading of the “Beyond Vietnam” speech by national faith leaders and activists
• A conversation with leading voices from the American church and anti-militarism movements on forging a new path.