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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
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.
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.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
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.
This was a fantastic read.
I was looking through my calendar one day when I realized that MLK Day was a couple of weeks away. I thought about it for a second and a sudden thought hit me – my knowledge of Mr. King as a person and his accomplishments were something I knew almost nothing about. I decided to change that.
Firstly, this isn’t your usual biography. Clayborne Carson was granted access to a trove of paperwork that included King’s sermons, publications in magazines, writings and speeches. Carson put these written works together to form a type of narrative. What the reader gets is insight directly from Martin Luther King Jr. on a slew of topics.
We learn about his years in college and learn about the books and people that inspired him to fully follow the philosophy of non-violent protest and revolution. He deeply believed that doing so would bring about much needed change that violent protest couldn’t achieve. Starting with the Montgomery Bus Boycott and every protest that bloomed afterwards we can see that the very act of kindness and love helped bring about a change in America.
Mr. King was an extremely intelligent man. Besides his studies, he was an extremely eloquent writer. To hear him speak was one thing; I think we’ve all have gotten shivers when listening to him read his “I Have A Dream” speech. But reading his words? An absolute treat.
On his reading and learning about different theologies:
I haven’t even mentioned his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Holy cow.
The rest of his writings are amazing and will make you a better person, if you heed his words. I finished this book feeling the same way after finishing Malcolm X’s biography: filled with a new sense of urgency to help others. To be good to each other. To try and be a better person. To be more kind and generous. To combat hate with love. Things are better solved when the hands are not clenched in a fist but open for a handshake. Highly recommend!
I was looking through my calendar one day when I realized that MLK Day was a couple of weeks away. I thought about it for a second and a sudden thought hit me – my knowledge of Mr. King as a person and his accomplishments were something I knew almost nothing about. I decided to change that.
Firstly, this isn’t your usual biography. Clayborne Carson was granted access to a trove of paperwork that included King’s sermons, publications in magazines, writings and speeches. Carson put these written works together to form a type of narrative. What the reader gets is insight directly from Martin Luther King Jr. on a slew of topics.
We learn about his years in college and learn about the books and people that inspired him to fully follow the philosophy of non-violent protest and revolution. He deeply believed that doing so would bring about much needed change that violent protest couldn’t achieve. Starting with the Montgomery Bus Boycott and every protest that bloomed afterwards we can see that the very act of kindness and love helped bring about a change in America.
Mr. King was an extremely intelligent man. Besides his studies, he was an extremely eloquent writer. To hear him speak was one thing; I think we’ve all have gotten shivers when listening to him read his “I Have A Dream” speech. But reading his words? An absolute treat.
On his reading and learning about different theologies:
"But my intellectual odyssey on nonviolence did not end here. During my senior year in theological seminary, I engaged in the exciting reading of various theological theories. Having been raised in a rather strict fundamentalist tradition, I was occasionally shocked when my intellectual journey carried me through new and sometimes complex doctrinal lands, but the pilgrimage was always stimulating; it gave me a new appreciation for objective appraisal and critical analysis, and knocked me out of my dogmatic slumber."
I haven’t even mentioned his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Holy cow.
The rest of his writings are amazing and will make you a better person, if you heed his words. I finished this book feeling the same way after finishing Malcolm X’s biography: filled with a new sense of urgency to help others. To be good to each other. To try and be a better person. To be more kind and generous. To combat hate with love. Things are better solved when the hands are not clenched in a fist but open for a handshake. Highly recommend!
Honestly, I would rate this five stars for "Letter from Birmingham Jail" alone. However, I do feel that people should know that the title of this book is very misleading. The book isn't actually fully written by MLK; though some of the passages are his own writing, most of the book was written by a historian piercing together King's life with his autobiographical snippets. Due to this, the writing was at times awkward and generally lacked King's eloquence. Either way, this is about fucking MLK. Of course it's amazing.
The achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. cannot be overstated. His assassination at the age of 39 prevented him from writing a real autobiography, so editor Clayborne Carson has assembled writings, speeches, and sermons by Dr. King to construct this book.
This book gives remarkable insight into King's thoughts about his childhood, about various civil rights campaigns in Montgomery, Atlanta, Selma, and others as well as his anti-war and anti-poverty stance. It reveals the thoughts of a truly brilliant and remarkable human being whose dedication to non-violence resistance is as inspiring and important today as it was in the 60's.
As this is a collection of writings and not an actual autobiography, the narrative suffers a bit at times, there isn't much on Dr. King's personal life, and there are repetitive portions, but again, Dr. King was never able to assemble an autobiography.
This is an important work for anyone who wants a greater insight into Dr. King's thought processes, morals, and dedication to combating racism, poverty, and violence.
This book gives remarkable insight into King's thoughts about his childhood, about various civil rights campaigns in Montgomery, Atlanta, Selma, and others as well as his anti-war and anti-poverty stance. It reveals the thoughts of a truly brilliant and remarkable human being whose dedication to non-violence resistance is as inspiring and important today as it was in the 60's.
As this is a collection of writings and not an actual autobiography, the narrative suffers a bit at times, there isn't much on Dr. King's personal life, and there are repetitive portions, but again, Dr. King was never able to assemble an autobiography.
This is an important work for anyone who wants a greater insight into Dr. King's thought processes, morals, and dedication to combating racism, poverty, and violence.
For better or worse, I had Malcom X's autobiography on the brain the entire time I read this. It provided a nice contrast, not only between the individuals as people, but stylistically, as writers. King was an academic and wrote, early in his life, as if he was going to defend a thesis. This transformed into a lyrical type of prose after he became a pastor; it is enchanting. As you read this book, you feel the lens of his current voice come into focus. This is all the more enhanced by the book's use of excerpts of his letters and speeches where you almost feel as if you are listening to him speak in real time. Style aside, his ideas are powerful and compelling. This man was a revolutionary and this book is required reading.