Video: King’s Speech Resonates Through Time

[syndicaster id=’5391113′]

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — 50 years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was named the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. During his acceptance, King would give what is known as his “peace speech.” It was one of his most famous. Now, 50 years later, many think the message is still is relevant, even though times have changed.

The Baptist preacher in 1964 received one of the world’s most prestigious awards. And when King accepted the award, he spoke of a world blessed not only with racial harmony, but also peace and harmony among all men and religions.

“Devotion to peace, not just in the United States but all over the world,” Mississippi State University Professor Lawrence Strout said. “And we have all kinds of conflicts and wars and terrorist groups.”

In 1964, the Vietnam conflict was escalating, prompting King’s hope for peace. Today, conflicts still rage, from the Middle East to Afghanistan to Ukraine. While we may have made racial progress, for those not even born in 1964, King’s message of peace still rings noteworthy.

“We continue to see these issues on the rise even though they aren’t as bad as they were back then,” MSU student Caroline Ritter said.

“Yes, because I mean it’s something that we do need to stop. Like war and poverty, and its still a big deal like it was back then,” MSU student Maggie Meador said.

King said we look for the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood. That hope still remains a goal.

“And we can make strides towards a better world, a better country and a better world,” Strout said.

But as King hoped, can compassion triumph over the ills of violence and oppression? Some experts fear the very human frailties he spoke of make his peace dream even more relevant — and difficult — today.

“But there are enough people that are power hungry and have other motives that may be impossible to have total peace and harmony, which is of course what he preached,” said Strout.

At age 35, King was the 12th American and the youngest person in 1964 to have received the Nobel Peace Prize.