MLK & RFK Brothers In Battle

Apr 24th, 2007 by Mark Rose

Rough day? Put it in perspective. The day before he was assassinated Martin Luther King gave a speech in which you are certain he knows he will be killed shortly. You can see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice, he carries it in his body. He’s been to the mountaintop, seen the promised land, he is ready to be taken.

The next day Robert Kennedy has to deliver the news of Martin Luther King’s death to an audience in Indianapolis. He quotes his favorite poet, Escalus, recounts the death of his brother, and asks for understanding, love and compassion between all people.

It would be difficult to find two better examples of public speaking under pressure, calling on something deep within, to connect emotionally and spiritually to an audience. MLK & RFK -their time with us was way too brief.

What is the depth of your commitment? How true are you to your raw beliefs? These are not questions that get asked often, if at all, in the course of business, especially in public relations. But we are not often inspired now, as we were then, to fight for justice, for truth, to pursue a path that stretches beyond worldly possessions.

Take a moment. Consider. Time is ruthless.

“He who learns must suffer, and even in our deep pain that cannot forget
falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will,
comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God” - Escalus

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Posted in News | 5 Comments

5 Responses to “MLK & RFK Brothers In Battle”

on 04 Apr 2008 at 10:44 am1Lance Koz

Thanks for posting this brief and thoughtful summary. It seems every year NPR posts a reminder of these brave acts and a search on Escalus brought me here.
on 05 Apr 2008 at 12:42 pm2Matt Gangadin

A perfect time and place in our Country’s brutial history.
on 04 Jun 2008 at 12:00 pm3Eliz

I too was brought here with a search for Escalus. Yeah, thanks for posting this.
on 04 Jun 2008 at 12:11 pm4Laurie Gray

I would love to have the full quotation from Escalus, as the version printed above doesn’t seem quite correct, and Kennedy’s version is certainly more poetic but perhaps not accurate. Can anyone find get it from the source itself? Thanks –
on 06 Jun 2008 at 2:54 pm5Anna

I wonder if there is a way to find a recording of the speech on line somewhere. Do either of you know?
I also was moved by it and reminded of when I heard it one NPR the other day.