Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.64 AVERAGE
4.64 AVERAGE
This book could have been written in 2024, which is very sad. Not much has changed overall when it comes to racism in America. I thought Dr. King's book was beautifully written, even though it is heartbreaking. White folks need to read it, especially if they feel we have made tremendous progress since the 1960s.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. America, the richest and most powerful nation in the world, can well lead the way in this revolution of values. There is nothing to prevent us from paying adequate wages to schoolteachers, social workers and other servants of the public to insure that we have the best available personnel in these positions which are charged with the responsibility of guiding our future generations."
I realized I had never read a whole book by Martin Luther King, Jr. after seeing a Thread post by @theandrehenry discussing this one. So glad I saw that and picked this up. Andre Henry wrote, "In his final book, MLK said white America would rather throw away democracy altogether, and embrace “a native form of fascism,” to preserve their power. We are living in that prophecy today." That was a major theme of this work, and it shouldn't have surprised me how much time King spent on advocating for a universal basic income and other social security projects.
It was interesting how, after calling for guaranteed housing, health care, jobs, and income, King still tacitly supported fighting Communism.
It was very interesting to read this alongside Russell Shoatz's memoir, I Am Maroon: The True Story of an American Political Prisoner as King discusses his arguments with Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) and criticizes the Black Power movement while Shoatz details how the Panthers and Black Power leaders turned his life around and gave him and his community hope and purpose.
“We will be greatly misled if we feel that the problem will work itself out. Structures of evil do not crumble by passive waiting. If history teaches anything, it is that evil is recalcitrant and determined, and never voluntarily relinquishes its hold short of an almost fanatical resistance. Evil must be attacked by a counteracting persistence, by the day-to-day assault of the battering rams of justice. We must get rid of the false notion that there is some miraculous quality in the flow of time that inevitably heals all evils. There is only one thing certain about time, and that is that it waits for no one. If it is not used constructively, it passes you by.”
I realized I had never read a whole book by Martin Luther King, Jr. after seeing a Thread post by @theandrehenry discussing this one. So glad I saw that and picked this up. Andre Henry wrote, "In his final book, MLK said white America would rather throw away democracy altogether, and embrace “a native form of fascism,” to preserve their power. We are living in that prophecy today." That was a major theme of this work, and it shouldn't have surprised me how much time King spent on advocating for a universal basic income and other social security projects.
It was interesting how, after calling for guaranteed housing, health care, jobs, and income, King still tacitly supported fighting Communism.
It was very interesting to read this alongside Russell Shoatz's memoir, I Am Maroon: The True Story of an American Political Prisoner as King discusses his arguments with Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) and criticizes the Black Power movement while Shoatz details how the Panthers and Black Power leaders turned his life around and gave him and his community hope and purpose.
“We will be greatly misled if we feel that the problem will work itself out. Structures of evil do not crumble by passive waiting. If history teaches anything, it is that evil is recalcitrant and determined, and never voluntarily relinquishes its hold short of an almost fanatical resistance. Evil must be attacked by a counteracting persistence, by the day-to-day assault of the battering rams of justice. We must get rid of the false notion that there is some miraculous quality in the flow of time that inevitably heals all evils. There is only one thing certain about time, and that is that it waits for no one. If it is not used constructively, it passes you by.”
informative
reflective
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
"We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing"-oriented society to a "person" oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered. A civilization can flounder as readily in the face of moral and spiritual bankruptcy as it can through financial bankruptcy."
On the one hand, this is a wonderful collection of essays that provide a sense of hope and a path towards creating a tide that lifts all boats. On the other, my god is it depressing that a lot of the programs he's citing and his arguments in favor of universal income have made little progress in the last 60 years. These are great essays highlighting the need for continuing to push for a more equitable society, and I was really struck by his just passionate love for humanity and the fundamental empathy that was the rock of his philosophy. I liked that this book calls out the continued evil that is the white liberal who advocates for incremental progress and is unwilling to make any kind of sacrifice for pushing for equality.
On the one hand, this is a wonderful collection of essays that provide a sense of hope and a path towards creating a tide that lifts all boats. On the other, my god is it depressing that a lot of the programs he's citing and his arguments in favor of universal income have made little progress in the last 60 years. These are great essays highlighting the need for continuing to push for a more equitable society, and I was really struck by his just passionate love for humanity and the fundamental empathy that was the rock of his philosophy. I liked that this book calls out the continued evil that is the white liberal who advocates for incremental progress and is unwilling to make any kind of sacrifice for pushing for equality.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
This is a relevant and thought-provoking book that discusses where the country is after the Civil Rights Movement, the rise of the Black Power Movement and next steps. I think reading this book now highlights the consequences of America’s inaction after the Civil Rights Movement. We are taught a watered down version of King but this book highlights King’s radical ideas and how his faith supports them. He touches on the importance of community involvement, particularly for privileged individuals, in achieving true freedom. I didn’t agree with everything but I found myself in conversation with the book. I would recommend.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
slow-paced