Face to Face Summary and Analysis

In this Face to Face interview, Dr. Martin Luther King discussed his concerns for Negroes and for the nation. The riots that had recently occurred were a major concern. Dr. King addressed the issues he saw a catalyst for the riots. Unemployment, and its resulting loss of dignity, was of great concern. Housing for those who rioted was squalid, rat infested ghettos. In California, the legislature repealed laws allowing integrated housing, forcing them into the ghettos. Negro students were not given good educations, regardless of desegregation laws. This was particularly so in the ghettos and all-black neighborhoods.

Negro Americans continued to desire greater progress. Tokenism was not acceptable. Integration and justice, including the right to vote, was a right expected and deserved by each American, regardless of color or ethnicity. One insistent need was the need to...