Let him know that the festering sore of segregation debilitates the white man as well as the Negro.

Share this quote

Source: Paul's Letter to American Christians (1956)

About this quote

In Paul's Letter to American Christians (1956), King uses a focused ethical claim to examine justice, with attention to festering, segregation, debilitates. The practical center is the relationship between wisdom and white and negro, giving readers a specific lens for judgment and action.

When to use it

  • A community organizer builds a meeting around festering before participants choose one measurable action related to justice.
  • A teacher pairs the passage from Paul's Letter to American Christians (1956) with a primary-source exercise about wisdom and public responsibility.
  • A team leader uses the tension between segregation and negro to discuss conduct under pressure.