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worldlibraries's review against another edition
5.0
Are you tired of resisting?
I have the cure!
The United States has seen much worse times of hatred, oppression and racism. Listening to this incredibly inspiring audiobook narrated by Levar Burton, with audio of Martin Luther King Jr. himself spliced in, will give you the fortitude to not sit down in weariness but to continue the march toward the midterms elections!
One of the most fascinating chapters in this book concerned Birmingham, Alabama. Wow, such active and horrible hatred was directed toward black people. So thoroughly had white people made it hard for blacks to vote there through various tactics, that only 350 out of a possible 15,000 were registered to do so. Truly, black people have only started representing themselves through the vote since the mid-1960s in the United States thanks to the Voting Rights Act secured under Martin Luther King's leadership. Martin Luther King Jr. felt the vote was one of the most important vehicles for black empowerment possible. He has a marvelous sermon called 'Give Us The Vote!' Do you use yours to its fullest power? Or let it go to waste?
In my education, I learned about the bombing of the black church where four little girls were killed. What I didn't learn about was that bombing black churches and their pastors' homes was 'a thing' in Birmingham. There were seventeen different bombings before the famous one! Imagine! When the famous one occurred, the white mayor of Birmingham went on national TV and 'cried,' yet not a single white official showed up at those funerals to mourn with the black community. How lonely and scared the Birmingham black community must have felt! You can feel the sorrow so deeply hearing King's eulogy for those little girls. It feels like you are there. To not have given in to bitterness, despair, or sitting down in frustration at that moment is a lesson for all of us.
In many ways this book doesn't feel dated. It feels contemporary. King felt that violence toward black people and poor whites had morphed from the days of lynching to gun violence as the method of keeping them cowed. Sound contemporary? It does to me. He felt that militarism would be the spiritual death of America, as we spend money on killing people who look different than the American white majority, rather than on improving the lives of American people at home. Sound contemporary? It does to me. We just increased the defense budget by 80 billion (even prior to that budget increase our nation spent more than the next 12 countries combined). The USA is getting ready to cut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security next. It was inspiring to hear him try and head off that 'spiritual death' for my generation.
The resistance continues. How can we all help the United States of America avoid 'spiritual death?2
I have the cure!
The United States has seen much worse times of hatred, oppression and racism. Listening to this incredibly inspiring audiobook narrated by Levar Burton, with audio of Martin Luther King Jr. himself spliced in, will give you the fortitude to not sit down in weariness but to continue the march toward the midterms elections!
One of the most fascinating chapters in this book concerned Birmingham, Alabama. Wow, such active and horrible hatred was directed toward black people. So thoroughly had white people made it hard for blacks to vote there through various tactics, that only 350 out of a possible 15,000 were registered to do so. Truly, black people have only started representing themselves through the vote since the mid-1960s in the United States thanks to the Voting Rights Act secured under Martin Luther King's leadership. Martin Luther King Jr. felt the vote was one of the most important vehicles for black empowerment possible. He has a marvelous sermon called 'Give Us The Vote!' Do you use yours to its fullest power? Or let it go to waste?
In my education, I learned about the bombing of the black church where four little girls were killed. What I didn't learn about was that bombing black churches and their pastors' homes was 'a thing' in Birmingham. There were seventeen different bombings before the famous one! Imagine! When the famous one occurred, the white mayor of Birmingham went on national TV and 'cried,' yet not a single white official showed up at those funerals to mourn with the black community. How lonely and scared the Birmingham black community must have felt! You can feel the sorrow so deeply hearing King's eulogy for those little girls. It feels like you are there. To not have given in to bitterness, despair, or sitting down in frustration at that moment is a lesson for all of us.
In many ways this book doesn't feel dated. It feels contemporary. King felt that violence toward black people and poor whites had morphed from the days of lynching to gun violence as the method of keeping them cowed. Sound contemporary? It does to me. He felt that militarism would be the spiritual death of America, as we spend money on killing people who look different than the American white majority, rather than on improving the lives of American people at home. Sound contemporary? It does to me. We just increased the defense budget by 80 billion (even prior to that budget increase our nation spent more than the next 12 countries combined). The USA is getting ready to cut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security next. It was inspiring to hear him try and head off that 'spiritual death' for my generation.
The resistance continues. How can we all help the United States of America avoid 'spiritual death?2
fevi's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Acredito que antes de qualquer crítica é importante afirmar que Martin Luther King foi um grande líder e revolucionário. Não há como deixar isso de lado. Ele foi um homem negro corajoso que resolveu enfrentar o sistema preconceituoso e racista sem armas. É um mérito. Ainda mais por tudo aquilo que ele ajudou a conquistar para a população negra dos Estados Unidos.
Uma grande lição que podemos tirar dessa autobiografia é como o poder da união e da amizade pode fazer a diferença na vida das pessoas. Tenho para mim que sem isso a movimentação pelos direitos civis encabeçada por King dificilmente teria conseguido algo relevante. O despertar das pessoas negras e o desejo de não cair mais na sujeição das pessoas brancas foi o pontapé inicial. Sem bem que as pessoas negras sempre lutaram.
O racismo e toda a construção racial é um problema das pessoas brancas. Eles inventaram tudo isso. Fico aqui a questionar-me se King conseguiria essa mudança se as pessoas brancas que detinham o poder na época do levante negro não estivessem dispostas a ajudarem. Seria possível? E se não John F. Kennedy ali? Será que as caminhadas não violentas não terminariam em massacre? Apesar dessas e de tantas outras indagações é que tivemos outros acontecimentos.
Apesar de todo esforço e tantas conquistas King acaba morto. A minha divergência com King é ver o mundo através da religião. Para mim, ter uma vida influenciada pela religião, tê-la como um norte não é suficiente para grandes mudanças. O caráter é capaz disso. Você pode mudar pela religião, mas nada adiantará se você possuir um caráter ruim. A história não nega: muitos mataram em nome de um deus cristão.
Enfim, é um livro interessante para saber a trajetória de Martin Luther King e o seu esforço com resultados positivos em mudar a vida de milhões de pessoas negras. A sua luta não foi em vão, mas infelizmente não foi suficiente para acabar com a opressão do povo negro nos Estados Unidos. Tenho para mim que nunca presenciaremos o sonho de King tornar-se realidade. Acredito que só com uma revolução destituindo o poder das pessoas brancas para um dia isso se tornar real. Até lá é preciso que união e força mesmo que não haja mais esperança.
Fica a recomendação para conhecer um pouco mais de uma das grandes personalidades do século XX.
Uma grande lição que podemos tirar dessa autobiografia é como o poder da união e da amizade pode fazer a diferença na vida das pessoas. Tenho para mim que sem isso a movimentação pelos direitos civis encabeçada por King dificilmente teria conseguido algo relevante. O despertar das pessoas negras e o desejo de não cair mais na sujeição das pessoas brancas foi o pontapé inicial. Sem bem que as pessoas negras sempre lutaram.
O racismo e toda a construção racial é um problema das pessoas brancas. Eles inventaram tudo isso. Fico aqui a questionar-me se King conseguiria essa mudança se as pessoas brancas que detinham o poder na época do levante negro não estivessem dispostas a ajudarem. Seria possível? E se não John F. Kennedy ali? Será que as caminhadas não violentas não terminariam em massacre? Apesar dessas e de tantas outras indagações é que tivemos outros acontecimentos.
Apesar de todo esforço e tantas conquistas King acaba morto. A minha divergência com King é ver o mundo através da religião. Para mim, ter uma vida influenciada pela religião, tê-la como um norte não é suficiente para grandes mudanças. O caráter é capaz disso. Você pode mudar pela religião, mas nada adiantará se você possuir um caráter ruim. A história não nega: muitos mataram em nome de um deus cristão.
Enfim, é um livro interessante para saber a trajetória de Martin Luther King e o seu esforço com resultados positivos em mudar a vida de milhões de pessoas negras. A sua luta não foi em vão, mas infelizmente não foi suficiente para acabar com a opressão do povo negro nos Estados Unidos. Tenho para mim que nunca presenciaremos o sonho de King tornar-se realidade. Acredito que só com uma revolução destituindo o poder das pessoas brancas para um dia isso se tornar real. Até lá é preciso que união e força mesmo que não haja mais esperança.
Fica a recomendação para conhecer um pouco mais de uma das grandes personalidades do século XX.
bonhomiebooks's review against another edition
4.0
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's taken me a long while to get to his book and it's okay. I think I found myself understanding his methods better the older I am. There was some audio that was a bit bad and I know it's probably because of how old it was, but I really wish I could have heard some more clearly.
inkerly's review against another edition
4.0
I initially starting reading the ebook but switched to audio format after a recommendation from someone I follow. First off, absolute kudos to the team who put this autobiography together. For those who do not know, it is not a direct account from Dr. King himself, but a string of his essays and speeches about his life and movement that were carefully pieced together by his descendants and historians. The ebook version I will admit did feel a little stunted in portraying the emotional weight of King's story, but the audio is touching. It is so powerful and I was moved by how he grew up, got through school, and used his faith and teachings to help the greater good. I also learned a lot about Dr. Martin Luther King's ever growing ideology on race and class, capitalism, civil disobedience, and his evolutionary stance on systemic racism. The only thing short of great about this book is of course - it is still more of a biography and there were still parts where I felt could have been dived into deeper and with more resonance had it come from King directly.
hreed7's review against another edition
5.0
Disclosure: I own the physical book of this, but I consumed it via its Grammy-winning audiobook instead. Why?
1. It's narrated by LeVar Burton, the former host of Reading Rainbow--there's a reason kids listened to him and wished they knew how to read, and it's because he makes whatever he's saying jump to life.
2. It's peppered with clips (or full recordings) of numerous speeches by Dr. King himself. Some you've doubtless heard before, like his "I have a dream" speech or even his "I've been to the mountaintop" address, but some you likely have not--his speech at the rally before the start of the Montgomery bus boycott is a moving example. In all cases, these words take new meaning when put into the context of King's life, the progress of his actions, and of his thoughts.
In modern America, Dr. King has a mythical quality surrounding him: some in my generation are liable to see his work as merely inevitable, having never known an America divided de jure by segregation. To the young student of civil rights, this narrative of King's life, his development and his impact as a civil rights leader is truly fresh, revealing with gripping immediacy the struggle at each step of the journey, from Montgomery to Albany to Salem to Chicago and beyond.
And yet, even to those who are well versed in the civil rights movement, who can name prominent figures like Roy Abernathy and Fred Shuttlesworth, or key opponents like Bull Connor, there is still a depth of detail into King's personal development that speaks directly to mainline questions of ethics, morality, and the human condition.
For example, early in his development at Morehouse College (where he enrolled at the age of 15!) King faced a dilemma squaring his religious upbringing and belief with intellectual rigor and modern sciences. Guided by the models of Dr. Benjamin Mays, president of Morehouse, and Rev. George Kelsey, prominent African American theologian, King came to square these influences, becoming a man both of great intellect, and unshakable faith. This internal dialogue of his is profound, and is of great value to any student who asks such questions.
Another moment of interest is the conflict between King's devotion to the principles of non-violence and the ideologies of other leaders like Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael. I never even considered how MLK might feel about the notion of "black power" but the result is fascinating, and was another highlight of this story.
Later in his life, King became an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War, and this chapter grapples with bedrock questions about the role of US military might in the global community, the growth of the military-industrial complex, the conflict between solving domestic problems and engaging military actions abroad, and numerous other ethical dilemmas that have emerged in the globalized world. He roots the problem to materialism in a fascinating way, and one that is moving.
I cried at the end of this book, gripped by the passion, the faith and the mission of Dr. King's life and message. Yes, it's easy to let MLK day pass with a "gee he was a good guy" attitude, but to learn more about him is a truly enriching pursuit, and this book is an excellent introduction to a full life. Please listen to this audiobook.
1. It's narrated by LeVar Burton, the former host of Reading Rainbow--there's a reason kids listened to him and wished they knew how to read, and it's because he makes whatever he's saying jump to life.
2. It's peppered with clips (or full recordings) of numerous speeches by Dr. King himself. Some you've doubtless heard before, like his "I have a dream" speech or even his "I've been to the mountaintop" address, but some you likely have not--his speech at the rally before the start of the Montgomery bus boycott is a moving example. In all cases, these words take new meaning when put into the context of King's life, the progress of his actions, and of his thoughts.
In modern America, Dr. King has a mythical quality surrounding him: some in my generation are liable to see his work as merely inevitable, having never known an America divided de jure by segregation. To the young student of civil rights, this narrative of King's life, his development and his impact as a civil rights leader is truly fresh, revealing with gripping immediacy the struggle at each step of the journey, from Montgomery to Albany to Salem to Chicago and beyond.
And yet, even to those who are well versed in the civil rights movement, who can name prominent figures like Roy Abernathy and Fred Shuttlesworth, or key opponents like Bull Connor, there is still a depth of detail into King's personal development that speaks directly to mainline questions of ethics, morality, and the human condition.
For example, early in his development at Morehouse College (where he enrolled at the age of 15!) King faced a dilemma squaring his religious upbringing and belief with intellectual rigor and modern sciences. Guided by the models of Dr. Benjamin Mays, president of Morehouse, and Rev. George Kelsey, prominent African American theologian, King came to square these influences, becoming a man both of great intellect, and unshakable faith. This internal dialogue of his is profound, and is of great value to any student who asks such questions.
Another moment of interest is the conflict between King's devotion to the principles of non-violence and the ideologies of other leaders like Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael. I never even considered how MLK might feel about the notion of "black power" but the result is fascinating, and was another highlight of this story.
Later in his life, King became an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War, and this chapter grapples with bedrock questions about the role of US military might in the global community, the growth of the military-industrial complex, the conflict between solving domestic problems and engaging military actions abroad, and numerous other ethical dilemmas that have emerged in the globalized world. He roots the problem to materialism in a fascinating way, and one that is moving.
I cried at the end of this book, gripped by the passion, the faith and the mission of Dr. King's life and message. Yes, it's easy to let MLK day pass with a "gee he was a good guy" attitude, but to learn more about him is a truly enriching pursuit, and this book is an excellent introduction to a full life. Please listen to this audiobook.
kahawa's review against another edition
4.0
This was really helpful for understanding how blacks experienced post-slavery oppression and the struggle for civil rights equality, a struggle that is far from over. MLKj was very articulate and intelligent, able to quote from a wide range of literature. The audio version of this book included a number of his speeches, which made the experience much more immersive. The book finishes with a speech he gave about how someone had already made an attempt on his life, but he was ready to die for his cause. I think I would have loved to have sat down and talked to him.
valentipeter's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
cdhotwing's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
wurry's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
openbookheartmind's review against another edition
4.0
Overall: very relevant to today, powerful.
This autobiography (put together using speeches, letters, and other writings) is a great opportunity to go more in depth with MLK Jr.’s experiences and thoughts. It was interesting to read the day-to-day journey of MLK Jr. and slow down a bit into his mindset and response to different criticisms and circumstances. I didn’t realize how much he also talked about the injustices of poverty. His observations on capitalism, American society, and, of course, race ring so true today. I found his faith in God and his humility inspiring.
This autobiography (put together using speeches, letters, and other writings) is a great opportunity to go more in depth with MLK Jr.’s experiences and thoughts. It was interesting to read the day-to-day journey of MLK Jr. and slow down a bit into his mindset and response to different criticisms and circumstances. I didn’t realize how much he also talked about the injustices of poverty. His observations on capitalism, American society, and, of course, race ring so true today. I found his faith in God and his humility inspiring.