On April 4th 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King gave an impassioned speech before a crowd on the steps of Riverside Church in New York City condemning the atrocity of the Vietnam War. He called for people to be obstinate in the face of the evils of warfare, and said that, “We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a ‘thing-oriented’ society to a ‘person-oriented’ society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.” It has become grossly apparent today that these inhuman triplets of despair have shown their stubborn implantation within the very fabric of our society.

To honor Dr. King’s charge to help our society embark on a “revolution of values”, IJPC will host a potluck to reflect on Dr. King’s speech. There is no better way to foster discussion, invite open-mindedness, and bring about awareness than by engaging in humanity’s oldest expression of good fellowship: a meal. IJPC invites you and your friends to join us to listen to excerpts of Dr. King’s speech, discuss its meanings and the pertinence it has within our society, while enjoying a community potluck.