The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is honored to have the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as part of our legacy. We remember Dr. King’s impact as an ineffable and unparalleled civil rights leader; especially during the multiple rallies Dr. King held in Exposition Park at both the Memorial Coliseum and Sports Arena.
On May 31, 1964, less than a year after his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, the Coliseum hosted the Religious Witness for Human Dignity event featuring Dr. King. In front of an audience of 14,893 supporters, and many members of the Hollywood community (including Dick Van Dyke, pictured), Dr. King addressed many topics including the Civil Rights Act, which was at that time being stalled by the Senate. Dr. King spoke about the necessity of fighting through any political impasse, which still holds true 53 years later:
“Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to open the floodgates of opportunity and allow now an avalanche of justice to pour upon us. Now is the time to get rid of segregation and discrimination. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children. This is the challenge of the hour.”
Just 19 days later, President Lyndon Johnson broke the stalemate in the Senate, and the Civil Rights Act was signed into law on July 2, 1964.