Martin Luther King Jr. and Billy Graham shared the conviction that the only solution to racial tension is the love of Christ. Watch this short documentary about how they worked together to change a divided nation.

♪

(Billy GRAHAM)
SOME PEOPLE ARE PREDICTING
THE PROBABILITY OF A RACE WAR.

IT’S NOT A PROBLEM IN ALABAMA
ALONE, IT’S A WORLD PROBLEM.

WHEREVER YOU HAVE TWO RACES
LIVING.

IS THERE AN ANSWER?

YES THERE IS AN ANSWER!

THE ANSWER IS THE CROSS
OF JESUS CHRIST.

AND THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF
SPIRITUAL BROTHERHOOD

IN CHRIST ALONE.

(Robert Kennedy)
I HAVE SOME VERY SAD NEWS
FOR ALL OF YOU,

AND I THINK SAD NEWS

FOR ALL OF OUR FELLOW CITIZENS

AND PEOPLE WHO LOVE PEACE
ALL OVER THE WORLD,

AND THAT IS THAT

MARTIN LUTHER KING WAS SHOT
AND WAS KILLED TONIGHT

IN MEMPHIS.

[crowd screaming]

MR. GRAHAM, I BELIEVE THAT
YOU’VE JUST BEEN INFORMED

OF THE TRAGIC DEATH
OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

YES, AND UH, I WAS
JUST INFORMED

ABOUT UH,
FIVE MINUTES AGO,

AND UH, IT COMES AS ONE
OF THE GREATEST SHOCKS

OF MY ENTIRE LIFE.

HIS FRIENDS CALLED HIM MIKE,

AND THAT’S THE WAY I KNEW HIM.

BILLY AND MARTIN WERE
GOOD FRIENDS…

AND A LOT
OF WHITES

DAMNED BILLY
FOR THAT.

THEY SAID,
“WHY WOULD

“YOU HOOK YOURSELF UP
WITH A COMMUNIST.

“HE’S NO GOOD.”

BILLY SAID,
“NO, HE’S MY BROTHER.”

BECAUSE BILLY TOLD HIM,

“THERE WAS A TIME WHEN
I DIDN’T TAKE A STAND

“FOR THE RACE PROBLEM,

“AND I PREACHED TO
SEGREGATED AUDIENCES,

“BUT I GOT TO KNOW
MARTIN LUTHER KING,

“AND I FELT WHAT HE FELT,

“AND I TOOK A STAND
FOR AN OPEN CRUSADE.”

(Billy Graham)
WE DEMANDED INTEGRATION
ALMOST FROM THE BEGINNING

OF OUR MEETINGS IN THE SOUTH,

AND AS A RESULT

I THINK THAT THIS LAID
A GROUND WORK AT THAT TIME.

NOW TODAY,
IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE

FOR THE PRESENT GENERATION
TO UNDERSTAND

WHAT THINGS WERE IN THOSE DAYS

AND WHAT IT TOOK
TO BE THAT WAY,

HOW MANY THREATENING
LETTERS WE GOT

AND HOW MANY THREATS
AGAINST MY FAMILY

AS A RESULT OF THE STAND
THAT WE TOOK AT THAT TIME.

(Bernice King) I THINK BOTH
DR. GRAHAM AND MY FATHER

WERE TRYING TO MAKE THE WORLD
A BETTER PLACE.

THERE IS NO EXCUSE EVER
FOR HATRED.

THERE IS NO EXCUSE EVER
FOR BIGOTRY

AND INTOLERANCE AND
PREJUDICE.

WE ARE TO LOVE AS GOD LOVED US!

WE DON’T NEED ANY GUNS.

WE DON’T NEED ANY BULLETS.

WE DON’T NEED ANY
PHYSICAL AMMUNITION.

WE HAVE A POWER.

ALL WE NEED IS TO PICK UP
THE AMMUNITION OF LOVE.

TAKE IN OUR HANDS
THE WEAPONS OF JUSTICE

THEN PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE
OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

AND THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD
AND JUST START MARCHING.

[applause]

(Bernice King)
THEY WERE DIFFERENT, OBVIOUSLY,

IN THEIR STYLE
AND THEIR APPROACH,

BUT I THINK THEIR HEART AND
THEIR GOAL WAS THE SAME.

[Voiceover]
BILLY’S FIRST PUBLIC ACT
AGAINST RACIAL SEGREGATION

TOOK PLACE
AT HIS CRUSADES

IN THE SOUTH DURING THE
EARLY 1950S

AT THE TIME
IT WAS COMMON PRACTICE

FOR ROPES TO SEPARATE THE WHITE
FROM THE BLACK SECTIONS.

HE WALKED INTO THE CRUSADE,

AND THEY HAD ROPES UP.

BILLY SAW THEM.

(Billy Graham) BLACKS WERE
SUPPOSED SIT BACK OF THAT

AND THE WHITES WOULD
SIT IN FRONT.

I WAS APPALLED AT IT

AND DECIDED THAT I HAD TO

SPEAK OUT ON IT AND HAD TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

I SAID, NO MORE OF THIS,

AND I WENT TO THE HEAD USHER

AND ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD
REMOVE THE ROPES AND HE SAID,

NO, HE WOULDN’T.

(Cliff Barrows)
BILLY GOT UP FROM THE PLATFORM,

AND HE WALKED DOWN
PAST THE USHERS

AND TOOK THE ROPES
DOWN HIMSELF…

(Billy Graham)
AND I REMEMBER THAT
THE HEAD USHER RESIGNED,

AND THERE WAS QUITE A LITTLE
FLACK ABOUT THAT.

THAT WAS A HISTORIC MOMENT
IN HISTORY WITH THE CHURCH,

AND THAT OPENED UP
HIS FRIENDSHIP

WITH MARTIN LUTHER KING
AND OTHER PEOPLE,

AND HE REALLY PRACTICED
WHAT HE PREACHED.

[Voiceover]
IN A 1956 ARTICLE
PUBLISHED IN LIFE MAGAZINE

IN WHICH BILLY MADE A PLEA FOR
AN END TO INTOLERANCE HE WROTE,

“IT IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO URGE
PEOPLE TO LOVE THEIR NEIGHBOR

“UNLESS WE LEAD THEM ALSO
TO THE CAPACITY TO LOVE.

“CHRIST GIVES MEN
THIS CAPACITY.”

WE MUST MEET CHRIST.

WE MUST KNOW HIM,

AS OUR LORD AND OUR SAVIOR.

BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
AND THOU SHALL BE SAVED.

IF WE CONFESS WITH OUR MOUTHS,
THE LORD JESUS AND BELEIVE IN
OUR HEARTS WE SHALL BE SAVED.

(Bernice King) HIS APPROACH WAS
MORE OF TRYING TO GET PEOPLE

INTO THE RELATIONSHIP
WITH CHRIST

THAT THAT WOULD
TRANSFORM THEIR MINDSET

IN THE WAY IN WHICH THEY LIVED

SO THEY WOULD SEE
PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY,

UHM, AND THUS TREAT
PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY.

(Ralph Bell)
EVERYBODY’S CALLING IS NOT
THE SAME,

AND MR. GRAHAM’S CALLING IS

THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL

IN WHICH, UHM,

IF HE COULD REACH MEN’S HEARTS
THROUGH THE SPIRIT OF GOD

THAT CAN CHANGE A MAN’S
WHOLE LIFE COMPLETELY.

[Voiceover]
BILLY’S BURDEN TO END
THE BLIGHT OF RACISM

THROUGH EVANGELISM CONTINUED
TO MOTIVATE HIS ACTIONS.

THIS WOULD BE EVIDENT

DURING THE EARLY DAYS OF
THE 1957 NEW YORK CRUSADE.

[Movietone news announcer]
IN NEW YORK MR. BILLY GRAHAM
MAKES A DRAMATIC DENUNCIATION…

THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG
WITH HUMAN NATURE.

WHAT IS IT IN THE NATURE OF MEN
THAT CAUSES MEN TO LIE

AND HATE AND CHEAT AND
STEAL AND LUST

AND HAVE PRIDE AND
BIGOTRY AND INTOLERANCE

AND RACIAL INTOLERANCE?

WHAT IS IT THAT CAUSES MEN TO
HAVE THESE TERRIBLE THINGS

DOWN INSIDE OF THEM?

THE PROBLEM WITH THE WORLD
TONIGHT IS SIN.

(Howard Jones)
BILLY HAD SAID, “I’M REACHING
28,000 PEOPLE EVERY NIGHT

“AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.

“THE PLACE IS PACKED AND
JAMMED,

BUT HE SAID,
“I’M FRUSTRATED, I’M CONCERNED

“THAT I’M NOT REACHING
PEOPLE OF COLOR”,

AND HE SAID, “I DON’T WANT THIS
TO BE A WHITE MAN’S CRUSADE.”

HE SAID, “HOWARD…

“WHAT MUST I DO?”

I SAID, “THERE’S ONE THING
YOU COULD DO.”

HE SAID, “WHAT?”

I SAID, “GO WHERE THEY ARE.”

HE SAID, “I’LL GO.”

SO, ONE SUNDAY AFTERNOON
WE WENT UP THERE.

I MADE ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS.

WE WERE GOING TO HAVE IT
AT SALEM METHODIST CHURCH,

A LARGE CHURCH IN HARLEM,

AND WE ENDED UP WITH 8,000
PEOPLE THERE THAT AFTERNOON.

THEN THE NEXT SUNDAY
WE WENT TO BROOKLYN.

TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE TURN UP.

BILLY PREACHED;
THEY RESPONDED.

HE SAID, “WILL YOU COME?”

THEY SAID, “BILLY, SINCE
YOU CAME TO BROOKLYN

“WE’RE GOING TO COME TO
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.”

AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF
THE CHANGE OF THE RACIAL CLIMATE

AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.

THERE WAS A BROWNING,

A COLORING OF THAT
TREMENDOUS CROWD.

(Howard Jones)
DURING THE NEW YORK CRUSADE

ANOTHER VERY INTERESTING
THING HAPPENED.

ONE NIGHT HE INVITED MARTIN
LUTHER KING TO COME AND PRAY,

AND AGAIN HE GOT SOME
NASTY LETTERS.

THEY SAID, “WHY DO YOU WANT TO
HAVE THAT ‘N’ PREACHER HERE?”

AGAIN, BILLY SAID,
“I DON’T CARE.”

“I’M GOING TO DO WHAT’S RIGHT.”

SO, THAT NIGHT MARTIN CAME.

HE SAT ON THE PLATFORM
RIGHT NEXT TO BILLY,

AND SO MARTIN GOT UP AND PRAYED.

I HAVE NEVER HEARD THAT MAN
PRAY A PRAYER LIKE HE PRAYED,

AND HE REALLY

TOUCHED HEAVEN SO TO SPEAK.

(Billy Graham)
TONIGHT, WE’RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE

FROM MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING

THE MINISTER OF THE DEXTER
AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH.

(Martin Luther King)
HEAVENLY FATHER,

OUT OF WHOSE MIND
THIS GREAT COSMIC UNIVERSE

HAS BEEN CREATED

WE COME RECOGNIZING
OUR DEPENDENCE ON THEE.

WE STAND AMID

THE FORCES OF TRUTH,

AND YET WE DELIBERATELY LIE.

WE STAND AMID THE COMPELLING
URGENCY OF THE LORD OF LOVE

THAT’S EXEMPLIFIED
IN THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST

YET WE LIVE OUR LIVES SO OFTEN
IN THE DUNGEONS OF HATE.

FOR ALL OF THESE SINS,
O GOD, FORGIVE.

AND WE THANK THEE THIS EVENING

FOR THE MARVELOUS THINGS WHICH
HAVE BEEN DONE IN THIS CITY

AND THROUGH
THE DYNAMIC PREACHING

OF THIS GREAT EVANGELIST,

AND WE ASK THEE, O GOD,
TO CONTINUE BLESSING HIM.

GIVE HIM CONTINUED
POWER AND AUTHORITY

THAT WE LISTEN TO HIM TONIGHT.

GRANT THAT OUR HEARTS AND
SPIRITS WILL BE OPEN

TO THE DIVINE INFLOW.

ALL OF THESE THINGS WE ASK

IN THE NAME OF HIM
WHO TAUGHT US TO PRAY,

OUR FATHER,

[audience joins in]
WHICH ART IN HEAVEN

HALLOWED BE THY NAME.

THY KINGDOM COME…

(Bernice King)
WHAT I THINK WITH DR. GRAHAM AND
DR. KING ON THE SAME PLATFORM

MORE THAN LIKELY SENT
A VERY A POWERFUL MESSAGE,

ESPECIALLY TO THOSE
IN THE SOUTH.

AND THAT TOOK COURAGE…

A LOT OF COURAGE ON THEIR PART
AS A MATTER OF FACT,

BECAUSE IT COULD PUT THEIR LIVES
IN DANGER AS WELL.

(Ralph Bell)
A LOT THINGS THAT THE BLACK
PASTORS DIDN’T KNOW WAS THAT

MR. GRAHAM HAD HELPED
MARTIN LUTHER KING IN MANY,

MANY AREAS WITH REGARD
TO HIS IMPRISONMENT

AND PAYING OF FINES AND UH,
THAT KIND OF THING

AND ENCOURAGEMENT
ALONG THE WAY.

IT WASN’T SOMETHING MR. GRAHAM
DID FOR HIS OWN PROMINENCE

AND TO GET PRESS INTERVIEWS
OUT OF IT,

BUT IT WAS SOMETHING HE DID

BECAUSE OF HIS CONCERN
FOR JUSTICE

AND HIS DESIRE TO HELP PEOPLE,

BUT HE DID IT IN HIS WAY.

[Voiceover]
FROM EISENHOWER TO KENNEDY TO
JOHNSON AND THEN NIXON,

BILLY WORKED CLOSELY WITH
ALL THESE PRESIDENTS

ENCOURAGING THEM TO TAKE STEPS
TO END RACIAL SEGREGATION.

WHEN THEY TRIED TO INTEGRATE
CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL

IN LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS,

THAT WAS 1957,

AND UH, PRESIDENT EISENHOWER
CALLED ME ON THE PHONE,

AND HE SAID, “BILLY, DID YOU
SEE THE PICTURE

“IN THE PAPER THIS MORNING
OF THE BLACK MAN

“BEING KICKED DOWN
ON THE STREET IN LITTLE ROCK?”

AND I SAID, “YES, SIR, I DID.”

HE SAID, “I’M THINKING
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEND

“SOME TROOPS IN THERE TO HOLD
THAT DOWN AND TO STOP THAT.”

HE SAID, “WHAT DO YOU
THINK ABOUT IT?”

I SAID, “WELL, I DON’T THINK
YOU HAVE ANY ALTERNATIVE.”

I SAID, “IT CAN’T GO ON
LIKE IT’S GOING NOW,

“AND SOMETHING DRAMATIC HAS
TO TAKE PLACE.”

[Voiceover]
BILLY ALSO OFFERED TO HOLD
A CRUSADE IN THE TROUBLED CITY,

BUT THE LOCAL COMMITTEE THOUGHT
IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE

AT THAT TIME.

WHEN THE MEETINGS DID TAKE PLACE
TWO YEARS LATER

THEIR IMPACT WOULD PROVE
TO BE FAR REACHING.

(President Bill Clingon)
ALMOST FIFTY YEARS AGO

MY SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER
TOOK ME TO LITTLE ROCK

TO HEAR BILLY GRAHAM’S CRUSADE.

THE SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED BECAUSE

OF THE LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL
HIGH SCHOOL INTEGRATION CRISIS.

THE WHITE CITIZENS’ COUNCIL
IN LITTLE ROCK

TRIED TO CONVINCE, EVEN TO
PRESSURE, BILLY GRAHAM

AND ALL OF HIS PEOPLE

TO PREACH TO
A SEGREGATED AUDIENCE,

AND HE TOLD THEM THAT
IF THEY INSISTED ON THAT

HE WOULD CANCEL THE CRUSADE

AND TELL THE WHOLE WORLD WHY.

SO, HERE WE WERE

WITH NEIGHBORHOOD AFTER
NEIGHBORHOOD AFTER NEIGHBORHOOD

IN MY STATE

ON THE VERGE OF VIOLENCE,

AND YET TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF BLACK AND WHITE CHRISTIANS

THERE TOGETHER
IN A FOOTBALL STADIUM,

AND WHEN HE ISSUED THE CALL
AT THE END OF THE MESSAGE

THOUSANDS CAME DOWN

HOLDING HANDS
ARM-IN-ARM CRYING.

IT WAS THE BEGINNING
OF THE END OF THE OLD SOUTH

IN MY HOME STATE.

I WILL NEVER FORGET IT.

(Billy Graham)
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING
AT THE WHITE HOUSE AT A PARTY

THE NIGHT THE CIVIL RIGHTS
BILL WAS PASSED,

AND HUBERT HUMPHREY CAME
IN ABOUT NINE OR TEN O’CLOCK.

HE WAS VERY TIRED,

AND HE CAME STRAIGHT
OVER TO ME,

AND HE SAID, “BILLY,”

HE SAID, “THIS BILL WILL NEVER
REALLY BE IMPLEMENTED

“UNLESS IT COMES FROM HERE.”

AND HE SAID, “THIS IS THE JOB
OF YOU AND THE CHURCH

“TO HELP BRING ABOUT LOVE

“IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE.”

I BELIEVE THAT THE ANSWER
TO OUR GREAT MORAL PROBLEMS,

OUR SOCIAL PROBLEMS,
LIES IN THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST

AND IN THE TRANSFORMATION
THAT HE CAN BRING.

WE NEED LEGISLATION, YES,

BUT LEGISLATION CANNOT IMPROVE
THE MORALS OF AMERICA ALONE

OR OUR SOCIAL PROBLEMS ALONE.

IT MUST COME FROM
SOMETHING DEEPER,

BECAUSE OUR PROBLEM IS
BASICALLY SPIRITUAL.

WE’VE PASSED ALL THE CIVIL
RIGHTS LAWS THAT YOU CAN…

YOU CAN’T THINK OF ANYTHING
HARDLY THAT THEY HAVEN’T PASSED,

BUT THAT HASN’T MADE EVERYBODY
LOVE EACH OTHER AUTOMATICALLY,

“BUT THE FRUIT OF
THE SPIRIT IS LOVE.”

“BY THIS, SHALL ALL MEN KNOW
THAT YE ARE MY DISCIPLES

“IN THAT YE HAVE LOVE
ONE TO ANOTHER.”

THAT IS A SUPERNATURAL LOVE
GIVEN TO YOU BY GOD

WHEN YOU RECEIVE CHRIST.

JESUS SAID, “FOLLOW ME.

“COME AND CHANGE
THE WORLD WITH ME.”

BILLY’S CONCERN
FOR RACIAL EQUALITY

EXTENDED TO SOUTH AFRICA
DURING APARTHEID.

HE REPEATEDLY REFUSED TO VISIT

UNLESS THE GOVERNMENT
WOULD ALLOW

A NON-SEGREGATED MEETING.

IN 1973 BILLY GRAHAM PREVAILED

AND HELD THE FIRST EVER
INTEGRATED PUBLIC MEETINGS

20-YEARS BEFORE
APARTHEID ENDED.

AND HE SAID
TO THE THOUSANDS THERE

“APARTHEID IS SIN.”

AND THE PAPERS CARRIED IT.

(Billy Graham)
CHRISTIANITY IS NOT
A WHITE MAN’S RELIGION

AND DON’T LET ANYBODY
EVER TELL YOU

THAT IT’S WHITE OR BLACK.

CHRIST BELONGS TO ALL PEOPLE.

HE BELONGS TO THE WHOLE WORLD.

HIS GOSPEL IS FOR EVERYONE.

[applause]

♪

(Bernice King)
I THINK I’LL REMEMBER HIM

AS SOMEONE WHO OPENED MY EYES

TO THE SIMPLICITY OF
THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.

HE WILL BRING A PEACE
AND A JOY TO YOUR HEART

THAT YOU HAVE NEVER KNOWN.

OPEN YOUR HEART AND SAY.

LORD JESUS COME INTO MY HEART,
AND HE WILL.

I RESPECTED HIM FOR BEING
GENUINE AND AUTHENTIC

AND NOT PRETENTIOUS.

I’VE LISTENED TO A LOT
OF PREACHERS IN MY LIFE.

SOMETIMES I’M LIKE,
“I HEAR YOUR WORDS,

“BUT YOUR SPIRIT DOESN’T
SEEM TO CONNECT.”

DR. GRAHAM’S SPIRIT CONNECTED
WITH THE WORD THAT HE DELIVERED.

(Billy Graham)
THEREFORE BEING JUSTIFIED BY
FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD.

YOU WANT HIM IN YOUR HEART
AND IN YOUR LIFE TONIGHT,

I’M GOING TO ASK THAT
YOU COME RIGHT NOW.