A Call to Conscience

A CALL TO CONSCIENCE is composed of original recordings of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., including the famed "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington. The quality of some is poor, but the words are still understandable. And the tinny nature of some only adds to the realism. It makes listeners feel like they are sitting in the back of a Baptist church hearing history being made. Each speech is introduced by an essay by another prominent civil rights activist. Some, such as the one by the Dalai Lama, are personal reminiscences, as well as inspirational charges in their own right. Others are meant to set the scene for King's speech and discuss its impact. R.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

January 7, 2002
In his introduction, the one-time ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young refers to MLK as "the voice of the century," and this collection deftly pays homage to that powerful voice. Carson (a Stanford University historian) and Shepard have compiled 12 of King's greatest speeches and prefaced them with touching and inspiring introductions written and read by prominent activists, leaders and theologians, including the Dalai Lama, Sen. Edward Kennedy and others. There's a lot more here than the "I Have a Dream" masterpiece (which is beautifully introduced by Dr. Dorothy I. Height, longtime president of the National Council of Negro Women). The material ranges from King's early talks in Alabama churches to the magnificent "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, which he gave the night before his assassination. Many of the recordings have a raw quality, giving them authenticity. When King proclaims in his address to the first Montgomery Improvement Association mass meeting that democracy is "the greatest form of government on earth," the attendees' background cheers are so deafening that listeners will have to turn down the volume. The only element lacking in this noteworthy production is an adequate set of liner notes—there are no dates for the material showcased, nor do the editors tell which speeches are on which CD. Simultaneous release with the Warner hardcover.