Martin Luther King Jr:
Redefining Social Action in the 20th century Civil Right Movement of Nonviolence
Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary
Martin Luther King Jr:
Redefining Social Action in the 20th century Civil Right Movement of Nonviolence
A Paper
Submitted to Dr. Kenneth Cleaver
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Course
American Christianity
CHHI 660-B01
By
James E. Whitaker
July 3, 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION 2
2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURYOF SOCIAL ACTION IN AMERICA 3
18th and 19th century revivalism and social change that changed America
3. SOUTHERN ROOTS: A BREFT OVERVIEW OF KING’S LIFE AND PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS 4
Martin Luther Kings ' Social Action: “Faith without works is dead.”
I have a dream… the words that shook the World
4. RELIGIOUS THEOLOGICAL HERITAGE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING… 7
Longevity has its place…
I’ve been to the mountaintop…
5.
…show more content…
It was there King meet Mordecai Wyatt Johnson (1891 – 1976) an American educator and pastor. He served as the first black president of Howard University, from 1926 until 1960. Johnson has been considered one of the leading African-American preachers of the early 20th-century. Johnson would traveled 25,000 miles a year throughout the country speaking principally on topics such as racism, segregation, and discrimination and his word become a source of great influence for the young Martin L. King. Year later both men spoke alongside each other on the subject of social justice. King was an gifted reader and was introduce to the works of great social reformers that include the work of Mohandas K. Gandhi. King identified with the philosophy of nonviolence resistance, which Gandhi had used effectively to make positive change in India. King was impressed with his research and saw how these ideas were not inconstant with his Christian
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born at noon on January 15, 1929 in Memphis, Tennessee to the Reverend Martin Luther King and Alberta Williams King. Martin Luther King Jr. spent the first twelve years in the Auburn Avenue home that his parents shared with his maternal grandparents, the Reverend Adam Daniel Williams and Jennie Celeste Williams. When Reverend Williams passed away in 1931, Martin Luther King Sr. became the new pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church and established himself as a major figure in both state and national Baptist groups. Martin Luther King Jr. later attended Atlanta’s Morehouse College from 1944 to 1948 during his undergraduate years. During this time, Morehouse College President Benjamin E. Mays had convinced Martin Luther King Jr. to accept his calling and to view Christianity as a “potential force for progressive social change. Martin Luther King Jr. was ordained during his last semester in Morehouse.” It was also around this time that Martin Luther King Jr. had begun his first steps towards political activism. In 1951, King Jr. began his doctoral studies in systematic theology at Boston University’s School of Theology. In 1953, Martin Luther King Jr. married Coretta Scott on June 18 in a ceremony that took place i...
It is no secret that Martin Luther King Jr. did great things. We have learned in school that he was a leader in the movement to desegregate the South. He has served as a role model for people across the globe. But even though Martin did change the world for the better, it was not without hardships. We gathered new information on Dr. King in the essay, “Heeding the Call” by Diana Childress. From his childhood to his last days, Martin faced massive opposition. Still, all of these challenges brought Martin the wisdom and idealism he used throughout his life.
Dr. King, Jr. Was a Baptist minister and social activist who played a key role in the American civil rights movement in the mid 1950's. Drawing inspirations from both Christianity and the peaceful teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. During King's movement African Americans achieved more progress toward racial equality in America than the previous 350 years. King's method involved the six principles of non-violence: information gathering, education, personal commitment, discussion/negotiation, direct action, and reconciliation. Information gathering," you must become an expert on your opponent's position." Education, "it is essential to inform other, this minimize misunderstandings". Personal commitment, "daily check affirm your faith in the philosophy and methods of
Watching America struggle through racial integration in the 1960s, King was outraged by how Blacks were being treated, not only by citizens, but by law enforcement. Police brutality became increasingly prevalent, especially in the South, during riots and protests. As a revered clergyman, civil rights leader, and Nobel Prize winner, King's writings sprung from a passion to help America become the land Jefferson, among many people, had promised it to be.... ... middle of paper ... ...
"You may well ask, Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches, etc.? Isn't negotiation a better path?' You are exactly right in your call for negotiation. Indeed, this is the purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. I just referred to the creation of tension as a part of the work of the nonviolent resister. This may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word tension. I have earnestly worked and preached against violent tension, but there is a type of constructive nonviolent tension that is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. So the purpose of the direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. We, therefore, concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in the tragic attempt to live in a monologue rather than a dialogue" (King 474-475)
Martin Luther King, Jr was an exceptional orator who knew how to persuade an audience into adopting his own beliefs and changing their perspectives through the way he weaved language techniques into his speeches. To add further impact, he delivered his message in a dominant, strong, emotional way in order to show that the African-American society were not afraid to fight against the unjustly treatment they endured for so long and that they weren’t taking no for an answer in regards to civil rights.
Martin Luther King was a major activist and leader during the civil rights movement. He referred back to the scripture and God as an important component in his speeches and allowed the Bible to help lead him and the people towards equality for all races. The movement brought on grave brutality towards the African Americans people, they were publicly abused and harassed because of their skin color. Throughout his leadership Martin Luther King maintained a "nonviolence" slogan which the activists took seriously due to the trust they had in King's word. King's life revolved around his Christian faith, it gave him the courage, language and the sense of community to intensify the activists to gain justice and equality for all.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” (www.brainyquote.com) Dr. King, a true inspiration, a true man, and a true hero. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an inspiration to me because he gave people freedom and equality. Without him, blacks and whites would of probably never been treated as equals. What would life be like without Dr. King in America’s history?
Martin Luther King, Jr. lost his life trying to better the lives of African American people who, because of their skin color, didn’t have the same rights as white people in America. King was a man of integrity and passion with a vision of a desegregated society. He played a part in the Civil Rights Movements where he eventually went to jail because of his protesting, and he became involved in the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott.
Dr. King had been one of the greatest leading person during the 21st century. Fifty years later till this day, the message he has portrayed, is still being reviewed today. The ideas that King had brought along in his speeches would still be relevant to civil problems that are occurring in the United States currently. One of the most incredible moments in his life at the time was when he conveyed his tendency from human rights onto the stage of the world; educating the listeners, while obtaining the Nobel Peace Prize Award.
Before the Black Panthers, slavery just ended, and there was a civil rights movement going on. Many African Americans were involved in the movement to end racial segregation and get their freedom and equality. Martin Luther King, Jr., involved in this movement and instead of violent protest, he used Mahatma Gandhi’s style of nonviolent protest. Gandhi was indian and Hindu but believed Muslims and Hindus should be together and not against. At the time Britain ruled India but Gandhi leaded his fellow indians to independence and their own rights. Martin Luther King Jr was born in January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated Booker T. Washington High at age 15. In his later life he motivated civil rights after marrying Coretta Scott and had four children. He became a peace activist but was thrown into prison twice for his peace protests. He was sent to prison for nonviolence. That does not seem right. It looks like people were against giving African American their equality out of their racism. They had freedom too but were living in poverty and racial segregation. Martin Luther wanted to help these people and it finally came from his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. He starts with the introduction “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history o...
Standing up for others is a very important thing in life. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a very advanced speaker. He is known for his “I Have A Dream” speech, but he’s also known for the little things he says. Some of the quotes he says are about standing up for other. It is important to stand up for others so that it shows somebody is a true friend, so that people don’t cause the good people sadness and tragedy, and so that people don’t act like the bad person or encourage the bad people.
Martin Luther King Jr. came from a middle class home with two loving and supportive parents. He was born in Georgia, January 15, 1929. Dr. King Jr. was one of three children. The impact he had on black and white audiences changed the way they viewed segregation and unity. He was such a revolutionary orator that he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Martin Luther King Jr. was the living definition of a prototypical nonconformist, which is a person who does not change their initial thoughts or actions based off of what others do. The reason prototypical nonconformist defines him so well is because his speeches were written to inspire all races, especially young African Americans to use non-violence to resolve any issues and to never lose sight of their dreams. His most famous “I Have a Dream” speech spoke about uplifting one another to help achieve each other’s goals with the absence of hatred and violence. He also brought forth the knowledge that God does not see any race more superior than an...
Martin Luther King Jr. was the most influential leader of the American Civil Rights Movement as he fought for the freedom of African Americans. King’s most influential speech is his “I Have a Dream” given on August 28, 1963.1 King himself was a man whom thousands of people admired. Martin Luther King Jr. uses an expressive tone in his speeches by using verbal powerful imagery toward his audience, reminding them of the challenges facing them and defeating racism. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired others to take action, lead by example, as shown in his speeches and promoted non-violence as a method for change.
One of the world’s best known advocates of non-violent social change strategies, Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), synthesized ideals drawn from many different cultural traditions. Recent studies of him emphasize the extent to which his ideals were rooted in African-American religious traditions which were then shaped by his education. The image of a social activist and leader was the result of extensive formal education, strong personal values and licit ethics. This excellence in leadership can be traced to his character which is shaped by his moral values and personality. We look at MLK and these traits to reveal the rationalization of his rise to transracial leadership in our society. Through studying the life and example of Martin Luther King, Jr., we learn that his moral values of integrity, love, truth, fairness, caring, non-violence, achievement and peace were what motivated him. King is not great because he is well known, he is great because he served as the cause of peace and justice for all humans. King is remembered for his humanity, leadership and his love of his fellow man regardless of skin color. This presence of strong moral values developed King’s character which enabled him to become one of the most influential leaders of our time. Integrity is a central value in a leader’s character and it is through integrity that King had vision of the truth. The truth that one day this nation would live up to the creed, "all men are created equal". No man contributed more to the great progress of blacks during the 1950’s and 1960’s than Martin Luther King, Jr. He was brought up believing "one man can make a difference", and this is just what he did. Integrity has a large effect on what we think, say and do, it is through King’s thoughts and actions that enabled so many people to have trust and faith in him. Through King’s integrity he believed that America, the most powerful and richest nation in the world will lead the way to a revolution of values. This revolution will change the way society views itself, shifting from a "thing-orientated" society to a "person-orientated" society. When this occurs, King believed that racism will be capable of being conquered and this nation will be "Free at last." King’s unconditional love for all humans was another value that strongly influenced his character and allowed him to have such excellent leadership ability.