page58 (1/2)

If I had sneezed I wouldn’t have been here in 1963, when the black people of Birhaht into being the Civil Rights Bill

If I had sneezed I wouldn’t have had a chance later that year, in August, to try to tell America about a dream that I had

If I had sneezed I wouldn’t have been down in Selreat movement there

If I had sneezed I wouldn’t have been here in Memphis to see a community rally around those brothers and sisters who are suffering

I’m so happy that I didn’t sneeze

I left Atlanta this ot started on the plane there were six of us The pilot said over the public address system, “We are sorry for the delay, but we have Dr Martin Luther King on the plane And to be sure that all of the bags were checked, and to be sure that nothing would be wrong on the plane, we had to check out everything carefully And we’ve had the plane protected and guarded all night”

And then I got into Memphis

Soan to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers? I don’t knoill happen now We’ve got some difficult days ahead

But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop

And I don’t mind

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life

Longevity has its place

But I’m not concerned about that now I just want to do God’s will And He’s allowed o up to the mountain

And I’ve looked over

I’ve seen the promised land

I ht that we, as a people, will get to the promised land

And so I’ht

I’

I’ any man

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the co of the Lord

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

I’d heard that speech several tihts Never thiswhat I knew about what happened the day after, I was iven the context as described by Foster, King’s words sounded like those of a man who kneas about to die Not in a decade Or a few years Or even in a week

Now

“He spoke of ht,” Foster said “His own, but only he and I knew the true i speech His voice rose and fell in calculated waves, controlling the audience’s emotions like a drum major would with a band Not a note in front of him Every word conceived as he spoke There was lots of applause and verbal affirmations I felt like I was at church on Sunday When he uttered those last words, Mine eyes have seen the glory of the co of the Lord, he turned from the podium and nearly collapsed into Abernathy’s arms He seemed totally spent As if he’d completed all he wanted to do”

My mind stood still, blank and bare, but I wanted to know, “Why didn’t you just tell Coleen all of this?”

His face collapsed onto itself, retreating behind folds of slackened flesh as the guilt, grief, and regret again took hold “I couldn’t”

“I don’t see why not”

He reached for the switch on the reel-to-reel recorder

“Listen”

King: It’s going to be okay, Ben Really, it is