Thread by @amhistorymuseum, "The ultimate tragedy—not the brutality of the bad people but the silence [...]

"The ultimate tragedy—not the brutality of the bad people but the silence of the good people"

This 1968 poster borrowed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words.

Today, it bridges two critical periods in King's life: the Birmingham campaign and the Poor People's Campaign.

#MLKDay

"The ultimate tragedy—not the brutality of the bad people but the silence of the good people"This 1968 poster borrowed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words.Today, it bridges two critical periods in King's life: the Birmingham campaign and the Poor People's Campaign. #MLKDay

In 1963, King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) joined with local organizers to launch a civil rights campaign in Birmingham, Alabama—often called at the time the "most segregated city in America."

: Dr. King at the 16th Street Baptist Church, @NMAAHC

In 1963, King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) joined with local organizers to launch a civil rights campaign in Birmingham, Alabama—often called at the time the "most segregated city in America.": Dr. King at the 16th Street Baptist Church, @NMAAHC

Birmingham already had a notorious reputation for racist violence in 1963.

In 1961, a mob assaulted a bus carrying Freedom Riders when they arrived in the city. The same day, another mob bombed a FR bus in nearby Anniston.

@SmithsonianChan video:

During the 1963 Birmingham campaign, activists adopted a wide variety of tactics, including sit-ins, boycotts, and marches. Thousands were arrested, including King himself, who wrote "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" behind bars.

Like many parts of the civil rights movement, young people served on the front lines of the campaign.

More than a thousand students marched through Birmingham as part of the Children's Crusade in May 1963. Officials responded with arrests, fire hoses, and attacking police dogs.

Public outcry following the Children's Crusade forced city officials to make concessions. But a day after activists & officials reached an agreement, white supremacists bombed multiple locations—including the Gaston Motel where King and others stayed.

: @librarycongress

Public outcry following the Children's Crusade forced city officials to make concessions. But a day after activists & officials reached an agreement, white supremacists bombed multiple locations—including the Gaston Motel where King and others stayed.: @librarycongress

In September 1963, white supremacists planted a bomb at the 16th Street Baptist Church, a symbolic center of the Birmingham campaign. The explosion killed four young girls attending Sunday school.

: Glass shards from a broken window at the 16th Street Baptist Church, @NMAAHC

In September 1963, white supremacists planted a bomb at the 16th Street Baptist Church, a symbolic center of the Birmingham campaign. The explosion killed four young girls attending Sunday school.: Glass shards from a broken window at the 16th Street Baptist Church, @NMAAHC

Events in Birmingham in 1963, along with others nationwide—including the assassination of activist of Medgar Evers, the March for Jobs and Freedom, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy—built public support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

: @smithsoniannpg

Events in Birmingham in 1963, along with others nationwide—including the assassination of activist of Medgar Evers, the March for Jobs and Freedom, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy—built public support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. : @smithsoniannpg

The next year, King completed a book reflecting on the 1963 campaign: Why We Can't Wait.

He argued that the "ultimate tragedy" of Birmingham wasn't the racism and acts of violence that Black Americans faced—but the "silence of the good people" who could have supported them.

In Why We Can't Wait, King looked back at the Birmingham campaign. He also looked forward, outlining potential goals for the movement. One was a "Bill of Rights for the Disadvantaged"—a group of reforms that would address historic inequalities & lift all Americans out of poverty.

In 1968, King and the SCLC planned to make an Economic Bill of Rights the center of a new, antipoverty Poor People's Campaign. It was just beginning when King flew to Memphis, Tennessee, to support striking sanitation workers.

King was assassinated in Memphis on April 6, 1968.

King's death did not end the Poor People's Campaign.

Coordinated by the SCLC and partner organizations, thousands of protestors representing poor communities nationwide traveled to Washington, D.C. and built a tent city on the National Mall—Resurrection City.

For 6 weeks, protestors pressed national leaders to support a range of reforms to help the poor nationwide.

One of thousands of people who built Resurrection City made this sign—a reminder of the lasting power of Dr. King's words and vision for the nation. #MLKDay2021

Interested in learning more about the topics and historical events discussed in this thread? Here's a few links to resources that can help.

Every year, the National Youth Summit brings students together with experts in a national conversation about important historical events:

Freedom Riders: https://americanhistory.si.edu/national-youth-summit/freedom-rides
War on Poverty: https://americanhistory.si.edu/national-youth-summit/war-on-poverty
Teen Resistance to Systemic Racism: https://americanhistory.si.edu/national-youth-summit/teen-resistance-systemic-racism

You can explore the history and legacy of the 1968 Poor People's Campaign through @NMAAHC's online exhibition, City of Hope. https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/city-of-hope

City of Hope: Resurrection City & the 1968 Poor People's Campaign

https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/city-of-hope

Many of injustices and inequalities that Dr. King fought against are still a part of our nation today.

Last year, we investigated the long history and legacy of racial violence in the U.S. in our blog series, Black Life in Two Pandemics. https://twitter.com/amhistorymuseum/status/1298289698083942402?s=20

https://twitter.com/amhistorymuseum/status/1298289698083942402?s=20

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have been experiencing increased racism and hate crimes. You can meet community leaders who are working to combat racism while serving on the front lines in our video series, Viral Histories. https://americanhistory.si.edu/events/viral-histories-stories-racism-resilience-and-resistance-asian-american-communities

Viral Histories: Stories of Racism, Resilience, and Resistance in

During this pandemic, Asian Americans have been experiencing increased racism and hate crimes. While these incidents of increased prejudice and violence occur today, they reflect a long history of

https://americanhistory.si.edu/events/viral-histories-stories-racism-resilience-and-resistance-asian-american-communities

This afternoon at 4pm ET, you can join @NMAAHC and others from across the @smithsonian for The People's Holiday, a virtual celebration honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

#MLKDay2021

https://twitter.com/NMAAHC/status/1351163898767024129?s=20

https://twitter.com/NMAAHC/status/1351163898767024129?s=20

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