Martin Luther King Jr. (Air Date March 4–18, 1961)

In honor of Black History Month, this episode presents a rare two-part television interview with Martin Luther King Jr, recorded at a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.

In conversation with Mike Wallace, Dr. King explains the moral case for nonviolent direct action, the difference between just and unjust laws, and the role of conscience in civil disobedience. He addresses the relationship between the SCLC and the NAACP, critiques federal complicity in segregation, and reflects on the personal cost of becoming a national symbol. Clear, rigorous, and deeply human, this interview captures Dr. King as both a movement leader and a man thinking through history as it unfolds.