59th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech at UCLA
On April 27, 1965, civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech at UCLA’s Wilson Plaza. According to UCLA Newsroom, almost 5,000 UCLA students and faculty gathered to hear Dr. King speak, and the speech left a profound impact on the attendees and beyond.
According to UCLA 100, Dr. King’s speech, also known as the “Segregation Must Die” speech, discussed the current state in the fight for civil rights, spread hope for a future in which African Americans had full rights and freedom, and invited to students to get involved through the Summer Community Organization and Political Education (SCOPE) project. This project brought students across the country to the South to support voter registration efforts in African American communities.
The speech had a profound impact on the Bruins in the audience. According to UCLA Newsroom, more than 20 students and faculty members from UCLA participated in the SCOPE project and UCLA’s history professors collected $700 (worth $6,882.12 today) from the crowd to help fund the project.
Today, Dr. King’s historic speech is commemorated with a plaque at the base of Janss Steps, marking the spot where the civil rights leader spoke.
For those who are interested in listening to the “Segregation Must Die” speech, an audio recording is available via the UCLA Department of Communication’s YouTube page, linked through the button below.
