[couchand]

The MLK quote is "a riot is the language of the unheard", and the full context is rich:

> And what is it America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the negro poor has worsened over the last twelve or fifteen years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.

The last point in particular has proven quite prescient to our current moment.