“Keep the Faith, Baby” Speech

Transcript

Keep the faith, baby. 

As I walk the streets of the Harlem's of the world, the Black Harlem’s and the white Harlem's, people are depressed. They are frustrated. They're downtrodden. They see no hope. They see no tomorrows. And I say to them always - keep the faith, baby. I say this because all of the world, people are not receiving God. They're not getting the assurances that once were given. Promises have been broken and their dawn refuses to rise.  They're walking in the midnight's of sorrow, in the midnight of frustration, in the midnight of despair. Too long have they been promised the good life by the great white fathers. Too long have they waited in vain, black and white, poor and illiterate for the better jobs, better housing, better education, better hospitals - yet the conditions have not changed except for those who have always lived in the penthouses. For the people who live in the basements, in the cellar, their lives are still drab, ugly, have no hope, and I say to them keep the faith, baby. 

Keep the faith because God's realities always exceed man's fondest dreams. Keep faith in God. Whoever your God is, keep the faith in whatever God you believe in. He'll take care of things. He'll make a way out of no way. He'll open doors that no one can open and shut doors that no one can shut. And it won't be long before he proves it too.

Keep the faith in yourself. You may be small to your oppressors but you're bigger in your self-respect as a human being because as a human being nobody is better than you are. All human beings, black and white, rich and poor, equal in the sight of God. Keep your faith in the life of your fellow man even though he abuses you. When he abuses you, he makes himself a lesser man. A great man once said love your enemies, less than the curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray! Pray! Pray! Pray! Pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.

Keep your faith. Keep your faith because one day Black and white, Jew and Gentile, Protestant and Catholic, rich and poor are going to walk the face of this earth with joyful hearts, happy in the togetherness of brotherhood. And the masses are gonna run this world. The big man's day is gone. Not only because it is any man's world, but it's also and always has been and always will be God's world. 

Keep the faith. Keep the faith, baby. Oh for a faith that will not shrink though press by any foe that will not tremble upon the brink of any earthly world. Keep your faith, baby. Walk together, talk together, love together, worship together, live together and we'll win tomorrow because God has no other hands than our hands, he has no other feet than our feet and he has no other tongue than our tongue. 

Keep the faith. Keep the faith, baby.