LBJ and MLK

Photo: Yoichi Okamoto, Lyndon Johnson Library

Just a few days after taking power, President Johnson struggled with the difficulties of inheriting a presidency without warning. In this conversation with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a leading civil rights organization, Johnson continued reaching out to all the major civil rights leaders.

Date: Nov 25, 1963
Time: 21:20
Participants: Lyndon Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr.
Conversation Number: K6311.02 PNO 22

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(President Johnson): . . . interest and your cooperation, and your communication, and a good many people told me that they heard about your statement. I guess it was on TV, wasn't it?

(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.): Yes, that's right-

(President Johnson): I, I, I been locked up in this office, and I haven't seen it. But I want to tell you how grateful I am, and how worthy I'm going to try to be of all your hopes.

(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.): Well, thank you very much. I'm so happy to hear that, and I knew that you had just that great spirit and you know you have our support and backing-

(President Johnson): Well-

(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.): -because we know what a difficult period this is...

(President Johnson): It's a- it's just an impossible period. We got a budget coming up that's- we got nothing to do with it, it's practically already made. And we got a civil rights bill that hadn't even passed the House. And it's November, and Hubert Humphrey told me yesterday everybody wanted to go home. We got a tax bill that they haven't touched. We just got to let up- not let up on any of them and keep going and I guess they'll say that I'm repudiated. But I'm going to ask the Congress Wednesday to just stay there until they pass them all. They won't do it. But we'll just keep them there next year until they do, and we just won't give up an inch.

(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.): Uh-huh. Well this is mighty fine. I think it's so imperative. I think one of the great tributes that we can pay in memory of President Kennedy is to try to enact some of the great, progressive policies that he sought to initiate.

(President Johnson): Well, I'm going to support them all, and you can count on that. And I'm going to do my best to get other men to do likewise, and I'll have to have you-all's help. I never needed it more than I do now.

(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.): Well, you know you have it, and just feel free to call on us for anything.

(President Johnson): Thank you so much, Martin. Call me when you're-

(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.): -regards to the family.

(President Johnson): I sure will. And call me when you're down here next time.

(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.): I certainly will, Mr. President.

(President Johnson): Let's get together. And any suggestions you got, bring them in.

(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.): Fine, I certainly will do that.

(President Johnson): Thank you so much.

(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.): Thank you for calling.