From the Archives: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at St. Peter’s College, 1965

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. received an honorary degree and spoke at the annual Michaelmas Convocation at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City on September 22, 1965. He devoted his speech to the American dream, which he said was rooted in the Declaration of Independence with its statement that man’s basic rights come not from or by the state, but are “gifts from the hand of God.” He said that we must face the fact that ever since the founding fathers framed that document, America has been professing the principle of democracy but not practicing it for all citizens. “Now America is challenged to realize this dream. It is not permitted the luxury of anemic democracy,” he said, “the price is the price of our own destruction.”

(Photographer: Archdiocese of Newark Archives, Catholic Advocate collection)

Editor’s note: All published archival photos can be found under the “From the Archives” tab in the top menu. For more information on the archdiocesan archives, visit rcan.org/archives.