MLK Spoke at Ohio Northern 54 Years Ago Today

Today marks the 54nd Anniversary of a speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Ohio Northern University in Ada.

Classes ended at 10 the morning of January 11, 1968 to allow for students to attend.

It is estimated that approximately 4500 people listened to Dr. King that day.

That included 2500 in Taft Memorial Gymnasium where he spoke.

Another 2000 listed in Lehr Auditorium where the audio from Taft was carried live. 

During the speech, Dr. King stated that the law can’t make everything right when it comes to racial injustice, but it does play a role, “It may be true that morality cannot be legislated but behavior can be regulated. It may be true that the law can’t change the heart, but it can restrain the heartless. It may be true that the law can’t make a man love me, but it can restrain him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important also. So while the law may not change the hearts of men, it does change the habits of men if it’s vigorously enforced.”

The nation celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year on Monday January 17.

Listen to the entire speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0UVTL5eAuc