The historic interview that stopped JFK in his tracks.
This historic, nearly two-hour conversation—recorded on June 6, 1963, and aired three days later—features Dr. King reflecting on the Birmingham protests, critiquing the Kennedy administration’s slow progress on civil rights, and outlining plans for the March on Washington. Restored by the Paley Center, the interview spurred President Kennedy’s landmark June 11 address, which galvanized support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Key moments include King’s rebuttal to fears of interracial marriage and his somber acknowledgment of assassination risks.
The interview almost didn’t happen due to network censorship. Susskind’s original guests (Harry Belafonte and James Baldwin) withdrew amid controversy over his civil rights focus. King stepped in, delivering insights that spurred Kennedy’s June 11 televised address, which declared a “moral crisis” and laid groundwork for the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
originally aired on June 9, 1963
