In the wake of the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and others in 2020, when civil unrest broke out around the country, King’s remarks about rioting became a point of discussion as America grappled with the ongoing reality of violent racism, along with violent responses to it.
The quote comes from King’s 1967 “The Other America” speech, wherein King explained that while the Civil Rights movement had experienced significant victories through the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act, the fight for racial equality was far from over. At the time of King’s speech, unemployment and poverty were disproportionately common in the Black community, as King estimated that Black unemployment was as high as 16 percent. King also highlighted the ongoing injustice of housing discrimination.
In light of these realities, King expressed that he understood why some had recently taken to the streets in violent protest.
“So these conditions…have brought about a great deal of despair, and a great deal of desperation. A great deal of disappointment and even bitterness in the Negro communities,” King said. “All of our cities are potentially powder kegs as a result of the continued existence of these conditions. Many in moments of anger, many in moments of deep bitterness engage in riots.”
“Let me say as I’ve always said, and I will always continue to say, that riots are socially destructive and self-defeating. I’m still convinced that nonviolence is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom and justice,” King continued. “So I will continue to condemn riots, and continue to say to my brothers and sisters that this is not the way. And continue to affirm that there is another way.”
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“But at the same time, it is as necessary for me to be as vigorous in condemning the conditions which cause persons to feel that they must engage in riotous activities as it is for me to condemn riots,” King then explained. “I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots.”
Then King delivered his now famous line: “But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard.”
“And what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years,” King said. “And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these recurrences of violence and riots over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention.”
After RNR tweeted the quote as a show of support for the Capitol riot, a number of Twitter users reacted with viscerally negative responses, some of which featuring colorful language. (Those tweets are not quoted in this article.)
“There’s no way I’m seeing straight,” one person said. Another said, “This is disgusting,” while someone else remarked that they had “found the worst tweet.”
“Trust me we heard you,” said another.
