King and Wilkins appeared on the stories news program in an attempt to dispel concerns of violence and militarism at the upcoming
And in perhaps a bit of foreshadowing to the message he would deliver in his famed "I Have a Dream" speech, King railed against the suggestion of the panel that the
"We often hear it said here that while the Negro drive for equality is a justifiable movement, in the last year, the Negros have been pushing too hard and too fast," said Richard Wilson of Cowles Newspaper Publications.
"The Negro has been extremely patient," King said. "We have waited for, well, now 345 years for our basic constitutional and God-given rights."
Three days later, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and before a crowd of more than 100,000 people, King would echo that sentiment:
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.
Check out the full video from Meet the Press: