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In November and December 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered five lectures for the renowned Massey Lecture Series of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The collection was immediately released as a book under the title Conscience for Change, but after King’s assassination in 1968, it was republished as The Trumpet of Conscience. The collection sums up his lasting creed and is his final testament on racism, poverty, and war.
 
Each oration in this volume encompasses a distinct theme and speaks prophetically to today’s perils, addressing issues of equality, conscience and war, the mobilization of young people, and nonviolence. Collectively, they reveal some of King’s most introspective reflections and final impressions of the movement while illustrating how he never lost sight of our shared goals for justice. The book concludes with “A Christmas Sermon on Peace”—a powerful lecture that was broadcast live from Ebenezer BaptistChurch on Christmas Eve in 1967. In it King articulates his long-term vision of nonviolence as a path to world peace.

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Great!
If you think you know Martin Luther King Jr. you probably don't. Martin Luther King Jr. was calling people to revolution. ... Read more

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Moldovan explores an aspect of Martin Luther King's legacy that has been largely overlooked by scholars until now. "Martin Luther King Jr." is a unique study of Dr. King's preaching and emerging theology spanning from his student days to his tragic death. The influence of Dr. King's religious convictions is conveyed through the personal accounts of his listeners. This study of theology and homiletics attests to Martin Luther King's indelible mark on American society. Moldovan traces the power and influence of Dr. King's words on those who heard him in Selma, Birmingham, and Chicago during the Civil Rights era. ... Read more

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Showing how King's life and legacy played--and continue to play--a profound role in the liberation of South Africa from apartheid, this work draws on King's private letters and published works to connect his life and thought with that of South African leaders. A brilliant testament to the global influence of King. ... Read more

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The widow of the dynamic and beloved civil rights leader recounts the history of the movement and offers an inside look at Dr. King, his sermons and speeches, her relationship to him, their children and family life, and more. 25,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

*ANOTHER "DAYOFTEARS":January31,2006*
Greatness in women! How is it achieved, and how acknowledged, when one is married to a significant public figure?

CORETTA SCOTT KING died yesterday, and her partnership marriage with Martin Luther King, Jr. is described in this auto-biography that is more his story, yet they were "privileged to share" each other's lives. She was a true helpmate, 'cheerleader' and support whose personality and musical talent provided needed harmony in his daily life. Coretta King was soft-spoken, with beauty and timbre in her speaking voice. She did not lack backbone; it was through her background as a descendant of slaves that lessons of courage were passed down (Read "SHOW WAY" - -Newbery Honor Book, 2006, that tells of similar circumstances.)

After a rural Alabama upbringing, Coretta Scott became a 1949 graduate of Antioch (OH) College. She went on to graduate from the New England Conservatory of Music in 1951, but changed course from career to marriage, though it was said she never expected to marry a man who would march, go to jail for civil rights, and change America forever. (A picture taken of Coretta with classmates at Antioch is "so forties" - - similar pictures taken at other northern schools might not have included black students. The pictures are of great interest, including a lovely photograph of the family saying a 'blessing' at mealtime; others are sharp reminders of incidents in our national life not altogether healed.) The original 1969 edition was later changed, mostly in language, to be more 'politically correct' as people like to say nowadays. The index takes note of a press conference Mrs. King shared in Washington D.C. with my aunt, Dorothy Hewitt Hutchinson, to protest the war in Vietnam. This was a very few days before Martin Luther King was gunned down. Have we progressed at all during the intervening years?

Coretta King was widowed at age 40, left to deal with the trauma of her husband's death, to 'explain' it to their four small children. She drew on a wellspring of courage and faith. We may wonder sometimes if there will be women in the future who grow up that strong. She writes as an historian, yet also as a fully involved wife. There was little that was 'everyday-ish' about their life; the knowledge of hatred and injustice could not be kept from the children altogether. Life was admittedly tumultuous; people did & said ugly things.

The chapters telling about the time following Dr. King's death are filled with expressions of gratitude for those who immediately offered & gave help, and those who came to hold her in their arms and in their prayers. Life has not been easy for the family members, as so often happens with children of the famous, and they need our prayers now. Coretta Scott King deserves every accolade; mcHAIKU says "Amen" to a life well lived.

Mrs. King Is A Strong, Dignified Woman
The behind-the-scenes story of the other side in Dr. King's life. His widow, Coretta Scott King, writes an earnest memoir of her own life and what it was like to try to maintain some shade of normality for her family in the turmoil of the Civil Rights movement. There is too much honesty here for the hero worship of the late Dr. King many might expect. After reading this book I came away feeling Mrs. King deserves praise for her own role in her peoples' struggle and her husband's achievements. Coretta Scott King, like so many women behind noteworthy men, should receive more than the footnote status those in such roles too often find is their legacy.

Martin luther King jr. Book response
This review is about the book My life with Martin Luther King Jr. By Coretta Scott King. This book touched me because my grandpa used to know Dr.King and this book tells me all the stuff my grandpa never told me. Like when Martin protested to all the whites, the Ku Klux Klan, or [KKK] told Dr.King to stop protesting or he would never see his family again, but Martin was not afraid,and with that the KKK bombed his house as a warning, luckally no one was hurt. The "I have a dream speech". Won Dr.King the noble peace prize, That angered the KKK and in his hotel The KKK guned him down in front of his family, and after the funeral the Mayor made it a law to treat blacks equally. Martin Luther King had one but had lost his life in the process.
I reccomend this book to all people [Blacks & Whites alike] that had a goal in life and did not stop until they achevied it.

Coretta King writes an epic of the life of her husband
I read this book for my Modern American History class and aside from two uses of "G__ d___," which I feel Mrs. King used to show the historical accuracy of the persecution during one of Martin's marches, that this was an informative read. I don't know that much about black history, but Mrs. King seems to go in depth while being completely concise. Famous historical figures such as Malcolm X and Ralph Abernathy are littered throughout and we have what I believe is probably an accurate view of the mores and values of the times. The book inspired me to stand up for my beliefs at the expense of persecution. In this book, we have a more human picture of Martin, the love he shared for people and his determination to lead them out of the valley of despair. As I approached the end of the book, I couldn't put it down because I was completely riveted at the events that ensued after his assassination. I've not read any other books about this period, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was the authorative work on the history of black civil rights during that time period.

A Wonderful Book by Far!!!!!!
I thought the book was wonderful!!! It gave me insight to what life was like living with MLK Jr. You felt the pain when things went wrong. You felt the happiness when things went right. Coretta Scott King did a great job of letting everyone know the imtimate details of her and her husbands life. If you haven't read it , check it out. Trust me, as a teen, it was a book that grasped my interest. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!!!! ... Read more

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Describes the life of Martin Luther King and the origin and celebration of the holiday in his honor. ... Read more

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On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., electrified the nation when he delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In The Dream, Drew D. Hansen explores the fascinating and little-known history of King's legendary address. The Dream insightfully considers how King's speech "has slowly remade the American imagination," and led us closer to King's visionary goal of a redeemed America.

Customer Reviews (7)

A Good Read with Good Insights
I happen to think that the best rendition of "I have a Dream" by Martin Luther King was the speech he gave at Cobo Hall Detroit, June 23rd 1963 where he spoke to an even more avid audience than Washington. Anyone who listens to both `Dream' speeches will appreciate the greater passionof King and audience response (indoor auditorium) in Detroit.

The Washington `Dream' speech has become world famous because it was televised and because it was the culmination of a day in the city of Washington "that had barricaded itself against the invaders."

The greatest irony re King's Washington speech is that what he delivered is not what he wrote!! At some stage during his speech, he disregarded his text and (some say at the behest of Mahalia Jackson who called to King `Tell them about the dream Martin') delivered his `Dream' peroration.

Hansen's book is a good read and takes us through the development of the prepared speech. He makes but one reference to the Detroit speech which surprises me. Work on the written draft commenced only a few days prior to Washington. The author - in minute detail - shows us two speech drafts plus the final script.

The prologue sets the scene well and features the searing, painful testimony of what happened Fannie Lou Hammer when arrested in Mississippi. In a well written chapter, Hansen shows that the day of the march itself was little short of chaotic. John Lewis confirms this in his wonderful book "Walking with the Wind."

A very interesting aspect of this book is when Hansen takes us through the response to the speech. It was received well, but not at all with the level of approval and awe that it has since received. Indeed NBC anchor Roger Mudd did not even allude to the "Dream" reference when reporting on the speech. Hansen shows us how the speech ultimately became recognized for the powerful work of oratory that it is by a one of the finest inspirational and motivational speakers the world has seen. Another great irony of this landmark speech is that it took the assassination of King for it to be truly appreciated.

This book does not go into nearly as much detail on the development of King's speaking style and the resources he culled from as does "Voice of Deliverance" by Keith Miller. Hansen though does a very good job in helping us to understand how the speech was crafted and ultimately why it has become so world famous.

A good read.

An Insider View of Greatness
Few speeches in American history are as well known or had the impact of the "Dream Speech". Hansen's wonderful book gives us a unique and insider's view of how the speech was developed, its roots in scripture and in King's lifetime of words up to that point. The analysis of the composition gives the reader a new appreciation of the speech's powerful messages, but also of the sheer beauty of the rhythm and cadence of the words. You can almost hear King's voice come off the pages.

The Power of God in Man
Martin Luther King was not an unusual black man; in fact, he wanted much of what many black men before him, probably all black men and women wanted. But Martin Luther King was a very unusual man, who happened to be black. His degree of passion, his conviction, his hope, and his perseverance were unlike most before him, and most after him, with the inspired, God given desire to make the world a better place for everyone, including blacks. His vision was not just the result of respect and reliance by his people, it was divinely inspired so that his passion, his hope emerged and blossomed before millions, many of whom were not familiar with him, his history, or his prominence and reputation. He was possessed of those rare qualities, and that rare talent, of the ability to inspire others to believe in themselves, and the world, that they had the dignity to alter their own dynamics, the manner in which they lived, and in the manner in which they were treated by others. As an evangelist, he was superb. For that, like Jesus, and many other prophets who have been threatening to the status quo, his ability to show others the way to self respect and to peace were certainly the force of why his life was taken so early, and so brutally. He was more than a leader; he was a messiah for the many black people who had waited so long for one to lead them out of the psychological bondage which was still very real to them. He positioned himself to show the way, and how to do it in the least offensive manner possible, by non-violence. He was a pillar of strength that even whites unfamiliar with him understood the necessity of yielding to God's will, instinctively knowing that all men were equal, and that all needed the recognition of being equal. Indeed, whites were aware of their obligation under the Constitution to recognize that equality but felt no compulsion to expect it of themselves until Martin forced them to face the truth they had so long avoided. Not only did he demand of blacks the energy and commitment to themselves, he demanded the energy and commitment of whites to respect themselves by being brave enough to help resolve the problem that had long festered in American social reality. The timing was right; the message was right, and Martin was right. He allowed none out of God's boat and helped everyone see that upon that ship, we were all afloat upon the ocean of humanity, and would indeed survive or perish. That message remains very much a part of his legacy, and today's reality although we face other issues as well, and the issues are now broader than ever. No one on earth has the option to say no to God and expect that it will be of no consequence to the world. He was the most remarkable of men that America has ever produced guided by his own devine light within as a beacon of humanity for all to follow.

More than a cuddly icon
Let me get first vent about the frustrating parts of this book before I get to the good stuff. First, at 229 pages of text, this was a rather short book, made shorter by Hansen's annoying habit of repeating important stretches of speeches. Second, the chapter analyzing the various drafts of the speech is probably better suited to a scholarly dissection of the speech than to a popular book. As was the chapter describing King's preaching style. And I got tired of ascribing every change in the speech to MLK's "genius". The man was exhausted, under threat and working on the run. Surely some of his decisions could have gone differently?

But minor grumpiness aside, I found this book hard to put down. The description of the organization for the August 1963 March on Washington was fascinating in its details about the people who attended it. One got the impression that the day was pretty disorganized, with the crowd making decisions on its own about when to start marching. Hansen also did a nice job of showing the internal disharmonies among groups within "the movement," as well as hinting that MLK's leadership done to him rather than pursued by him -- less because of his ability to manage and lead than because of his philosophical sophistication, personal courage, stamina and eloquence. That King comes across as a preacher and a prophet (as opposed to a great organizer) does him no disservice, but actually helps to humanize him and make the Civil Rights movement more real. Hansen did a nice job handling the post-1963 life of the speech. He is honest about the impatience that some blacks felt about the 'dreaminess' of the speech, especially as the movement's gains stalled and the violence continued. Hansen nicely captures the slightly radioactive nature of the speech among national politicians (many of whom were wary of King's alleged Communist sympathies) in the years before King's death and the cloyingly hagiographic tributes about King and the speech after 1968.

Hansen shows how King's memory has been sanitized and rendered harmless by linking him exclusively with the "I Have a Dream" speech. In opposing the Jim Crow laws, a main (but not the only) point of the speech, King targeted a system that was abhorrent to Northern whites and a source of shame to many in the South. Getting rid of it was the relatively easy matter of making the abuses public. But King's next targets proved more difficult -- the hard work of eliminating more subtle forms of racism from American hearts on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. King's premature death allowed Americans to accept him as a national martyr and prophet, but ironically delayed the more difficult soul-searching about America's war plans in Vietnam, its endemic racism and the blind economic violence perpetrated against the poor and powerless.

"I have a dream" - more than just a speech
I read "The Dream" in one sitting this weekend. The book vividly recaptures the spirit of the time during which Rev. King developed and delivered this inspiring and world-changing speech. At first I was afraid that the author's decomposition of the speech would diminish the power and effectiveness of the speech. On the contrary, his deep exploration into the speech itself and the events leading up to that day, together with fresh perspectives on the moment itself and the years following its delivery enhanced my admiration for both the speech and Rev. King. The author's inescapable conclusion is that there was much, much more at work than a man delivering a televised speech to a supportive crowd. This singular moment in Rev. King's life was the catalyst for much of the advancement that we all benefit from today. Yet this same event is also being used by some to impede further progress in the complete fulfillment of The Dream. This is a book I can wholeheartedly recommend for anyone who wants to learn about the history of that day and its subsequent impact over the next 40 years. It will also be of particular relevance to those with an interest in public speaking. ... Read more

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A wonderful book with new context from a King Scholar
Too much of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's writing has been long out of print. This new book will revisit the importance of the Montgomery bus boycott and Dr. King's lasting legacy in the struggle for equality in America. A must-read for anyone who cares about the history of our country.

good book
i do not know anything about this book but i am doing a project about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
... Read more

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At an early age, Martin Luther King Jr. was unhappy about the unfair laws and customs that made it difficult for African Americans to live freely. Before he reached his teen years, he vowed to do something about them. As an adult, he became a preacher and civil rights leader. He told the world about his dream for racial harmony and peace in the United States. He marched, led boycotts and sit-ins, and made speeches to try to obtain civil rights for everyone, no matter what their skin color. He was arrested, assaulted, and ultimately shot for his beliefs, but he showed the world that nonviolence could be used to bring about great changes in society. Read about the life of this brave leader, and discover What s So Great About Martin Luther King Jr. ... Read more

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A visual record of the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. by a photographer who was part of his inner circle records momentous events, public and private, and places them in the context of the civil rights movement. ... Read more

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Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most inspirational figures in American history. From his march on Washington to his time in a Birmingham jail, King's life and work continue to have a profound effect on our nation.

The Everything Martin Luther King Jr. Book explores King's life, times, and influence. Fascinating facts and little-known details you'll find in this book include:

• His upbringing, education, and nonviolent-resistance influences
• The inspiration for his famous "I have a dream" speech
• His relationship with the Black Power movement
• His private life as a friend, husband, and father

Customer Reviews (1)

User Friendly
"Everything Martin Luther King, Jr. Book" reminds me of all the good things about all those "books for dummies" without any of the bad aspects (such as making a serious topic into a series of bad jokes). Authors Jessica McElrath and Rev. Dale P. Andrews take seriously the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr., while writing a book that you do not have to be a graduate history student to appreciate.

They study his upbringing, education, inspiration, connection to other movements of the day, and his relationships as father, husband, and frend. A great book for an introduction to his life and times.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."
... Read more

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These simple, illustrated biographies provide a perfect entry point for learning about history. The childhood, education, and career of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. are presented with short, simple text for the elementary school audience.Special thanks to content consultant Richard Jensen, Ph.D. Looking Glass Library is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO Publishing Group. Grades preK-4. ... Read more

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“You don’t know me,” Martin Luther King, Jr., once declared to those who criticized his denunciation of the Vietnam War, who wanted to confine him to the ghetto of “black” issues. Now, forty years after being felled by an assassin’s bullet, it is still difficult to take the measure of the man: apostle of peace or angry prophet; sublime exponent of a beloved community or fiery Moses leading his people up from bondage; black preacher or translator of blackness to the white world?

This book explores the extraordinary performances through which King played with all of these possibilities, and others too, blending and gliding in and out of idioms and identities. Taking us deep into King’s backstage discussions with colleagues, his preaching to black congregations, his exhortations in mass meetings, and his crossover addresses to whites, Jonathan Rieder tells a powerful story about the tangle of race, talk, and identity in the life of one of America’s greatest moral and political leaders.

A brilliant interpretive endeavor grounded in the sociology of culture, The Word of the Lord Is Upon Me delves into the intricacies of King’s sermons, speeches, storytelling, exhortations, jokes, jeremiads, taunts, repartee, eulogies, confessions, lamentation, and gallows humor, as well as the author’s interviews with members of King’s inner circle. The King who emerges is a distinctively modern figure who, in straddling the boundaries of diverse traditions, ultimately transcended them all.

Customer Reviews (4)

Insightful! About time!
It's about time a writer went beyond the typical soaring rhetoric of Dr. King. This was an insightful as well as enjoyable read.

A Boring Read
This is hard for me to read as it is very dry material. If it were not for the bits of historical info contained herein, I would have put this book down long ago. Actually, I thought about not finishing it a couple times but pressed on anyway. However, this is only my personal opinion. You may find this enjoyable. I guess since everyone is different, read for yourself.

A must read!
This book is very informative.In this time where sounds bites seems to define who we are, this book takes a deep look into Dr. King's complete "personhood".A must read for those who want to understand Dr. King complete ministry.

How Dr. King spoke, and what he meant by what he said
The Word of the Lord is Upon Me is perhaps best described as a biography of the rhetoric of the century's greatest orator. Rieder mentions that part of the aim of the book is to reclaim the true Martin Luther King from the shallow appreciations of St. Martin that occur every January. King's medium was speech, and he was less saint than maestro, sampling from cultural traditions across the spectrum, recasting, remaking, and retelling.

Through King's words -- often plagiarized, borrowed, or written by others, then spoken in his inimitable voice and made his own -- Rieder's academic study and close reading becomes compelling. Rieder has a keen ear for language, bringing out the subtle nuances in the maestro's recombined rhetoric in beautiful prose of his own. "Righteous performance" in the book's title captures the extent to which King's inspired prophecy was carefully calibrated; his themes and voices often reflected the audience; and he was always keenly aware of his desired effect.

The one thing missing from the book is the voice of King himself, the instrument that animates the pages. As Rieder points out, absent his voice the words themselves can be uneven, as in King's published work, which was invariably heavily edited for white audiences. King's genius was in speaking to audiences across racial lines, connecting with each within their own tradition, and then analogizing that with the African-American struggle with civil rights. King did this with audiences from Southern Afro-Baptist congregations to Reform Jews, from white liberal Protestants to the AFL-CIO, bringing his audiences into his fold by the power of his charisma.

He was able to reach all these disparate listeners in part because he himself contained multitudes: his love of opera, weighty theological discussions, and language were no less authentic than his love of soul food, his bawdy sense of humor, or his deep belief in the redemptive power of a Christ who loved all humanity regardless of race.

(Full disclosure: Jonathan Rieder is an old friend.) ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Interesting and Illuminating
An interesting, sometime heavy book for the serious student of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Author Keith Miller shows how much of King's material, language imagery and content is derived from two sources -the oral traditions of the African-American folk church which this inspirational speaker heard from his father and associates as he grew up, but also the printed sermons of white Protestant preachers.

In thoroughly researched material, Miller shows how King uses other voices and verbatim imagery in his public speeches and essays. In today's climate, King might be accused of plagiarism. The motivational imagery and inspirational words of possibly the finest speaker of the twentieth century were often not his own.

Miller writes persuasively though that the African-American culture was one of oral storytelling rather than written. Thus well received religious stories and anecdotes were constantly reprocessed by speakers. None of King's colleagues upbraided this inspirational speaker for `stealing' their material.

In A Call to Conscience, Rosa Parks write that Dr. King would spend fifteen hours preparing a speech. While not disagreeing with this notion, Miller does suggest that a significant number of King's speeches were ghost written. I was surprised to read that King's anti-Vietnam war speech "A Time to Break Silence" was written primarily by Vincent Harding with contributions from Andrew Young. Given the immense detail and historical perspective in the Vietnam speech, a style different to the broad brush imagery which Dr. King normally used so effectively, it is a credible contention.

Even one of King's finest pieces Letter from Birmingham Jail owes much to other sources. In his autobiography, King states he wrote the letter without notes or support material. However, he was able to draw on his prodigious bank of memorized material to craft a powerful indictment of white churches. Miller shows how King drew on passages from a sermon by H.H. Crane and Harry Emerson Fosdick's Hope of the World.

In some ways, Miller's work takes some of the luster from the King legend. Ultimately though, King used the tools of his time, tools that were accepted by his peers and those from whom he borrowed. King was a very human person who by utilizing his skills created god like speeches that inspired millions.

As a keynote speaker myself, it is indeed interesting to appreciate that even a truly great inspirational and motivational speaker does not always create his or her own material.

Well researched and written
Keith D. Miller does a good job examining the sources of Martin Luther King Jr. and explaining their significance.King was very successfull as the leader of the Civil Rights Movement in America because he effectively appealed to many white moderates.By quoting the founding fathers he was able to appeal to the broader American tradition.By borrowing and blending from black and white tradtions of speech and language, King was all the more effective at uniting people.There is obviously a considerable amount of informaton on Ghandi within Miller's publication.I think much more attention should have been focused on King's borrowing from Aquinas and natural law, which is so clearly evident in King's "Letter From A Birmingham Jail."I found it also interesting that King borrowed sources from contemporary white preachers as well as historical figures.Of all the criticisms you could throw at King, he was still very very intelligent.

A genius--like Homer and Shakespeare, and a great man
This superb book deserves to be widely read.It is well known that Kingplagiarised much of his academic work and many of the passages from hissermons and speeches, but Miller compelling explains this practice as thehallmark of the oral culture of African American religion that produced itsfinest example in King himself.Although Miller doesn't cite classicalliterature, King's method of creating his own unique works from thebuilding blocks of others is a central and completely accepted insight intoscholarship on Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, and it is well known thatShakespeare closely followed the plots of third rate plays to produce hisown masterpieces.

Miller also shows how the courageous resistance ofAfrican Americans against centuries of slavery produced a profound gospelof deliverance that was a concentrated version of Judeo-Christiandoctrines, pared to its essentials and vivid enough to sustain peoplethrough seemingly hopeless injustice and oppression, indeed, with the powerto motivate people to lay down their lives, if necessary.It was thisdoctrine of deliverance that King delivered to America and the world,electrifying the consciences and imaginations of white Americans, andproviding leadership of the highest quality to the many brave AfricanAmericans who were determined to end the injustice of racism inAmerica.

This is a fine and inspiring book about a great American, Dr. M.L. King, Jr. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from The Black Collegian, published by iMinorities, Inc. on February 1, 2005. The length of the article is 2089 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Their paths converge; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Dr. Ralph J. Bunche: Nobel Peace Prize winners.(AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY)
Publication: The Black Collegian (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2005
Publisher: iMinorities, Inc.
Volume: 35Issue: 2Page: 85(4)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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Compiled from his own words, this history-making autobiography IS Martin Luther King: the mild-mannered, inquisitive child and student who rebelled against segregation; the dedicated young minister who constantly questioned the depths of his faith and the limits of his wisdom; the loving husband and father who sought to balance his family's needs with those of a growing nationwide movement; and the reflective, world-famous leader who was fired by a vision of equality for people everywhere. Relevant and insightful, this Autobiography offers King's seldom discussed views on some of the world's greatest and most controversial figures including John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Mahatma Gandhi and Richard Nixon. This book brings to life a remarkable man whose thoughts and actions speak to our most burning contemporary issues and still inspire our desires, hopes and dreams.Amazon.com Review
Celebrated Stanford University historian Clayborne Carson isthe director and editor of the Martin Luther King Papers Project; withthousands of King's essays, notes, letters, speeches, and sermons athis disposal, Carson has organized King's writings into a posthumousautobiography. In an early student essay, King prophetically penned:"We cannot have an enlightened democracy with one great group livingin ignorance.... We cannot have a nation orderly and sound with onegroup so ground down and thwarted that it is almost forced intounsocial attitudes and crime." Such statements, made throughout King'scareer, are skillfully woven together into a coherent narrative of thequest for social justice. The autobiography delves, for example, intothe philosophical training King received at Morehouse College, CrozerTheological Seminary, and Boston University, where he consolidated theteachings of Afro-American theologian Benjamin Mays with thephilosophies of Locke, Rousseau, Gandhi, and Thoreau. Through King'svoice, the reader intimately shares in his trials and triumphs,including the Montgomery Boycott, the 1963 "I Have a Dream Speech,"the Selma March, and the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. In one of his lastspeeches, King reminded his audience that "in the final analysis, Goddoes not judge us by the separate incidents or the separate mistakesthat we make, but by the total bent of our lives." Carson's skillfulediting has created an original argument in King's favor that drawsdirectly from the source, illuminating the circumstances of King'slife without deifying his person. --Eugene Holley Jr. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

Sensational audio production
I wanted to learn more about King and this great work really left me with a feeling of knowing him well. It gave great insight into factors that moulded King, from his childhood to the profound influence of Gandhi, and chronicled the rough and tumble struggle for justice, with its slings and arrows, and also the great men who helped him like JFK and Harry Belafonte.

Clayborne Carson used King's personal papers to piece together an autobiography, that while half biographical, is as true as one could get. There are many fascinating original recordings etc.

I was really pleased with this purchase. It left me feeling both inspired and accurately informed of the historical detail.

Engrossing, inspiring and informative
February is Black History Month, something which--to be totally honest--I'm usually completely unaware of. I'm not just unaware of when Black History Month occurs, but pretty ignorant about Black History in general.

Last week I began reading The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. I had purchased it a while back at the same time that I bought Gandhi's autobiography. I've been following the trail of non-violent thought from the Anabaptists to the Quakers to Leo Tolstoy to Gandhi to Martin Luther King (and points in-between). So MLK was the next stop on my journey. I only discovered last week after getting half-way into the book that February is Black History Month. I learned this by seeing a placard on the side of a bus.

Dr. King's autobiography was not intentionally written by it's subject, in the same way that Gandhi's autobiography was. King was assassinated before he could write this work himself. Instead, his autobiography was assembled by King scholar Clayborne Carson (at the request of Coretta Scott King) by carefully gathering and collating King's public and private writings into a cohesive narrative. Carson did a masterful job, as King's voice and personality consistently shines through. One really has the sense that this is the autobiography King would have written had his life not been cut short.

I had not expected to become so quickly engrossed in this book. Obviously I knew who Martin Luther King was, but this was my first opportunity to really see what an amazing man he was. King was an intellectual giant, yet also an extremely humble and honest man. He was a brilliant theologian and scholar, but consistently chose to identify himself with the lowest of the low in society. He was incredibly, well ... Christian ... in the true sense of the word.

Besides being impacted by the encounter with King as a person, this book is also teaching me about the events of the Civil Rights movement and the various personalities involved. A consternating thought keeps bubbling up in my mind: Why was I never taught about this in public school? The Civil Rights movement was an epic moment in American history and it's effects continue to reverberate--most recently and obviously in the election of Barack Obama. Yet I can't recall being taught about it in school. Perhaps because I grew up in a 99% white community in Colorado it was deemed irrelevant, just as I've typically viewed Black History Month as personally irrelevant.

Now I'm realizing that Black History, from slavery to emancipation to Jim Crow to the Civil Rights movement and beyond is not just "for black people". It is an integral component of American history. Ditto for Native American history. Looking back, I realize how narrow and anglo-centric my public school history education was. I was not given anything approximating a complete picture of American history. And, sadly, neither has my son. I'm going to try to get him to read this book.

I also find myself thinking as I read this book that if I had been an adult during the 1960's, I hope I would have been one of those whites who joined into the Civil Rights movement to offer solidarity and support. I self-flatteringly imagine that I might've trekked to the South and gotten onto the front lines, as so many people of good conscience from all over the country did. But that thought is immediately followed by a more uncomfortable one: Where are people being oppressed today and what am I doing about it?

MLK Brilliant and Consummate Christian
I was overwhelmed by King's christian ethic and his brilliance.This was an outstanding page turner from cover to cover.King showed us what true christianity and commitment are. I recommend it to all.

A must read
The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. is a must read, especially for the the youth of the 21st century.I have always appreciated the sacrfices Dr. King made to create a better America, as well as a better economical and social status for African Americans.But after reading this book I have a new respect for Dr. King.His strength through out the entire civil rights movement is without a doubt remarkable.His nonviolent strategy was truly a genious way to fight the hands of racism and evil during the times in which he lived in.He used the media to shame the racist who tried to keep all power for themselves and white America.Dr. King was a very intelligent man and I believe he had a deeper understanding of social behavior that was sharper than most.

I have read many autobiographies on extraordinary people in the world, and prior to reading this book Malcolm X's autobiograpghy was my favorite of many.But I now have to say I have two favorite books.Although Malcolm X and Dr. King had different approaches for fighting racism in America, I believe they were both effective because if nothing else they both brought media attention to the issue that was never there before.In this way they made it impossible for America to sit idlely by and do nothing.

I believe this book should be read be everyone because it truly leaves the reader with a deeper appreciation for the struggles of great leaders who shaped the core values of this country.

The best read of the year
It's an inspirational read and clearly establishes King amongst the finest examples of portraying a 'Purpose Driven Life" in recent generations.




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Product Description
At the time of this broadcast Dr. Martin Luther King was co-pastor, with his father of Ebenexer Bapist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and president and one of the founders of the Sounthern Christian Leadership Conference. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and received more than 250 citations for his work in civil rights. He was selected by Time as "Man of the Year" in 1963. Born in Altanta, Georgia in 1929, he obtained degrees at Morehouse College and Crozer Theological Seminary after which he undertook further studies at the Universities of Pennsylvania and Harvard and obtained a Ph.D. degree in Systematic Theology from Boston University. He Lectured extensively, and was the author of many books.

The Massey Lectures begun in 1961 by the CBC to enables distinguished authorities in fields of general interest and importance to present the results of original study or research. This Lecture has not been heard since 1967. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great set of speeches
This is a set of 5 tapes which includes Dr. King's 4 talks that were part of the Massey Lecture series in Canada and his 1967 Christmas Eve sermon he gave at his church in Atlanta.The tapes also include a couple of panel discussions.These discussions are reactions to Dr. King's speeches.One of the discussions is between two academics and their views of Dr. King's protests against the Vietnam War.The other discussion is a larger group and it focuses on race relations in Canada and the U.S.For people who are only familiar with Dr. King's "I have a Dream" speech, the four lectures may be disappointing because they are lectures and, as such, they are not delivered in the manner that many people associate with King.However, the lectures are great if you want to understand Dr. King's thinking during this time period because he goes into great detail outlining the justifications for his views on the Vietnam war, the War on Poverty, and racism.In my view, the 1967 Christmas Eve sermon is one of Dr. King's best speeches ever.It is certainly better than the Nobel Prize acceptance speech and, I think, the April 4, 1967 anti-war speech that he gave (what many historians identify as his first major anti-war speech).In this sermon, King elaborates on his theme of the interconnectedness of all people, but he also has a sequence toward the end of the speech on "I watched this dream turn into a nightmare" which is amazing because you get a real sense of the dispair that Dr. King felt at times during the movement because the country just didn't seem to really understand what his philosophy of justice and nonviolence was all about.It is an amazing speech.I am glad that it is finally available for people to hear.
My only complaint is that this set is only available on cassette tape and not as a cd. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1963, Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. launched the Civil Rights movement and demonstrated to the world the power of nonviolent direct action. Why We Can't Wait recounts not only the Birmingham campaign, but also examines the history of the civil rights struggle and the tasks that future generations must accomplish to bring about full equality for African Americans. Dr. King's eloquent analysis of these events propelled the Civil Rights movement from lunch counter sit-ins and prayer marches to the forefront of the American consciousness.

With a special new afterword by The Reverend Jesse Jackson. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Great service
The book was shipped very fast and it was in the described condition. Great !

Sad & Inspiring all at once!
A fantastic book about a sad and yet inspiring period of American history. Martin Luther King describes, in his own words, what happened in Birmingham, AL in 1962-3, what they were trying to achieve, and why it was so imperative that the momentum continue. Relative to reading history books on the topic in class, this account gives you a true sense for how amazing and brave those who took part in this movement are. Despite the massive injustice of the period, these inspiring people, held fast to non-violent protest.

I was amazed by careful mental training that people underwent to enter into protest. MLK describes the need for these individuals to be certain that they could react to physical violence without retaliation. I consider how quick the average person is to react to the most minor of slights in today's daily life. It makes you realize that training to fight is so much easier than training not to fight.

It was intriguing how they constructed the movement, standing fast despite the laws and pressures. Leaders had multiple opportunities to "get out easily". Yet, they held fast together in solidarity. Some even met death as a function of there beliefs.

For those studying the period, this type of first hand account provides the nuance that is necessary to understand the character and moral fiber of these brave individuals.

If Only He Had Lived
Dr. King proves in this book his steadfast bravery and determination.He fought, not for his own glory, but that a whole race of people could be free.Some critics will argue that he did not free the whole South, but he gave other leaders the courage to follow in his footsteps.He was a well spoken man who was sure of himself and who had the ability to inspire people with his words.

It is amazing that he felt the need to justfy something that we take for granted today.I fully believe that the gay rights movement needs a leader like this man, it takes a great person to inspire greatness in others.Dr. King saw evil in the world and he refused to stop until unjustice was abolished.

Transports you to an inside perspective of The Civil Rights movement
Eloquently written with careful word choice and countless metaphors.One cannot appreciate the civil rights movement and mourne its current state until they read this book.

Very highly recommended
When you think of Martin Luther King, Jr., you don't really think of the books he's written - but that can only be because his other accomplishments have been so overwhelming.This is an incredible book, expounding the potential of nonviolent direct action in the context of the then-recent struggle in Birmingham.In addition, Dr. King gives a preliminary look at his "Bill of Rights for the Disadvantaged" - an economic aid package for poor and dispossessed Americans, both black and white.Reading this book over forty years after it was written, the fact that the US has still never addressed (or been made to address) reparations for slavery makes each page shine with renewed vigor.Finally, anyone who thinks Dr. King would not have supported affirmative action could benefit from a thorough reading of chapter eight.Overall, an enlightening and eye-opening insight into one of history's foremost thinkers. ... Read more