Le Boheme

Martin Luther King Jr: Maladjusted (1963)

“Modern psychology has a word that is probably used more than any other word in modern psychology. It is the word “maladjusted.” It is the ringing cry to modern child psychology: maladjusted. Of course we all want to live the well adjusted life, in order to avoid neurotic, schizophrenic personalities.

“As I move toward my conclusion I would like to say to you today in a very honest manner, that there are some things in our society and some things in our world [for] which I’m proud to be maladjusted.

“I call upon all men of good-will to be maladjusted to these things until the good societies realize.

“I must honestly say to you that I never intend to adjust myself to racial segregation and discrimination. I never intend to adjust myself to religious bigotry. I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few and leave millions of god’s children smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society.”

(Source: youtube.com)