Revisiting King’s last speech

Revisiting King’s last speech
The speech, delivered the day before he was killed, encourages listeners to fight against socioeconomic injustices and inequality.
JAN 14, 2022

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” at the Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 3, 1968, the day before he was assassinated. It was an empowering message of hope, inspiration and future progress that encouraged listeners to fight against socioeconomic injustices and inequality. The address was delivered in support of striking sanitation workers, who were demanding better working conditions, equity and dignity.

King encouraged people to use their finances to invest in racial and social justice initiatives. Although we’ve come far in this country as a whole, there is still a long way to go. As we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King, let us not lose sight of his vision for this country, a vision of unity and hope.

Here’s a powerful quote from his speech:

“In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our Republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir … Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’ But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.”

Listen to his speech here.

Latest News

FINRA fines Vanguard $950,000 over decade of cost basis errors
FINRA fines Vanguard $950,000 over decade of cost basis errors

Faulty Forms 1099 and account statements reportedly left some Vanguard brokerage customers overpaying or underpaying taxes for over a decade.

More ETFs, more opportunity, more homework
More ETFs, more opportunity, more homework

The democratization of ETFs cuts both ways

Advisor moves: Raymond James, Baird add significant teams in latest recruiting push
Advisor moves: Raymond James, Baird add significant teams in latest recruiting push

Independent broker-dealers snap up experienced advisors as competition for established practices intensifies.

Wells Fargo names COO Scott Powell as its next chief risk officer
Wells Fargo names COO Scott Powell as its next chief risk officer

Derek Flowers, a nearly 30-year veteran, is set to retire in mid-January, handing the reins to the executive who helped lead the bank's regulatory turnaround.

Ameriprise runs advisor ads on ESPN, Golf Channel, CBS
Ameriprise runs advisor ads on ESPN, Golf Channel, CBS

The campaign spans broadcast TV and streaming, as the brokerage faces slowing client net flows and an $8.1 billion advisor team that left to launch an RIA this month.

SPONSORED In the Age of AI, Trust Becomes the Advisor's Greatest Asset

As AI makes financial information more accessible than ever, Lana Hock explains why human judgment, trust, and empathy remain the qualities clients value most in a financial advisor

SPONSORED Direct indexing webinar targets tax-loss harvesting amid market swings

Northern Trust’s Ken Lassner shows advisors how to convert volatility into after-tax portfolio gains