Martin Luther King Speech Drum Major

Martin Luther King's "Drum Major Instinct" Speech: A Deep Dive into Legacy and Meaning

Introduction:

Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy extends far beyond the iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. One often overlooked, yet profoundly insightful address is his sermon, "The Drum Major Instinct," delivered just months before his assassination. This powerful message, delivered on February 4, 1968, at Ebenezer Baptist Church, speaks not only to the human desire for recognition but also to the true nature of greatness, selfless service, and the pursuit of a just world. This post will delve deep into the text of King's "Drum Major Instinct" speech, examining its key themes, historical context, lasting relevance, and its continuing impact on our understanding of leadership and social justice. We'll unpack the complexities of the "drum major instinct," exploring how King both acknowledged its presence in all of us and simultaneously urged a transcendence of its potentially destructive aspects.

I. The Historical Context: Understanding the Time and Place

King delivered "The Drum Major Instinct" at a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. The momentum of the previous years, marked by landmark legislation and significant victories, was beginning to wane. Disappointment over the slow pace of integration, coupled with growing violence and unrest, created a climate of disillusionment. Understanding this context is crucial to grasping the depth and urgency of King's message. He was speaking to a congregation grappling with weariness and uncertainty, a congregation he himself was leading through a difficult and often dangerous period. His message was not merely a reflection on human nature; it was a call to action, a reaffirmation of faith, and a guide for navigating the turbulent waters of the time. Furthermore, the speech itself foreshadows his own imminent death, adding another layer of poignancy and urgency to its message.

II. Deconstructing the "Drum Major Instinct": What Did King Mean?

The core concept of the "drum major instinct" is the innate human desire for recognition, prestige, and power. King didn't condemn this instinct outright; instead, he acknowledged its universality, present in everyone from the least to the most influential. He illustrated this with examples ranging from children vying for attention to adults seeking accolades. He recognized that this desire, while natural, could lead to self-serving ambition and a focus on personal glory rather than genuine service to others. The true danger, according to King, lay in allowing this instinct to dominate one's life and actions, overshadowing the pursuit of righteousness and compassion.

III. King's Vision of True Greatness: Beyond Self-Interest

King's sermon contrasts the "drum major instinct" with a higher calling – a life dedicated to serving others and pursuing justice. He presents three ways to be a "drum major," but in a radically different sense. He argues that the greatest drum majors are those leading in love, justice, and humility, not in self-aggrandizement. He highlights the example of Jesus Christ, who, despite facing immense suffering, prioritized service to humanity over personal gain or recognition. This emphasis on selfless service is a central theme throughout the speech, providing a powerful counterpoint to the self-centered ambition often associated with leadership. It’s a call for leadership grounded in empathy, sacrifice, and a commitment to a greater good beyond personal ambition.

IV. The Relevance of "The Drum Major Instinct" in the 21st Century

While delivered over half a century ago, "The Drum Major Instinct" remains strikingly relevant today. The human desire for recognition hasn't diminished; if anything, in our increasingly performance-driven society, it might be even more pronounced. The speech serves as a crucial reminder of the dangers of unchecked ambition and the importance of prioritizing selfless service. King's message challenges us to critically examine our motivations and to strive for a form of leadership that prioritizes the well-being of others over personal advancement. The speech's enduring power lies in its ability to speak to timeless human struggles and aspirations. It’s a call for self-reflection and a re-evaluation of what truly constitutes a life well-lived.

V. The Lasting Impact and Legacy of the Sermon

King's "Drum Major Instinct" sermon continues to inspire and challenge audiences worldwide. It serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of humility, service, and the pursuit of justice. Its impact resonates in the ongoing efforts to promote social justice, fight inequality, and create a more equitable world. The speech's lasting legacy lies in its ability to stimulate critical self-reflection on personal ambition and the transformative power of selfless service. Its message transcends specific historical contexts, speaking to fundamental human truths and providing a timeless guide for ethical leadership and personal growth.


Outline of "Martin Luther King's Drum Major Instinct Speech: A Comprehensive Analysis"

Introduction: Hook, overview of the speech and its significance.
Chapter 1: Historical Context: The Civil Rights Movement in 1968, King's position, and the prevailing socio-political climate.
Chapter 2: Deconstructing the "Drum Major Instinct": Defining the term, its inherent human nature, and the potential pitfalls.
Chapter 3: King's Vision of True Greatness: Contrasting self-serving ambition with selfless service, using examples from the Bible and his own life.
Chapter 4: Relevance in the 21st Century: Applying King's message to contemporary issues, the challenges of ambition, and the need for ethical leadership.
Chapter 5: Lasting Impact and Legacy: The ongoing influence of the sermon, its relevance to social justice movements, and its continuing inspiration.
Conclusion: A summary of key takeaways, a call to action, and final thoughts.


(Detailed explanation of each chapter point would follow, mirroring the content already provided in the main article.)


FAQs:

1. When was the "Drum Major Instinct" speech delivered? February 4, 1968.
2. Where was the "Drum Major Instinct" speech delivered? Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
3. What is the central theme of the "Drum Major Instinct" speech? The inherent human desire for recognition and the importance of selfless service over self-aggrandizement.
4. What examples does King use to illustrate the "drum major instinct"? He uses examples ranging from children seeking attention to adults striving for accolades and power.
5. How does King define true greatness? Through selfless service, humility, and a commitment to justice.
6. What is the significance of the speech's delivery just months before King's assassination? It adds poignancy and underscores the urgency of his message.
7. How is the "Drum Major Instinct" relevant today? Its message on ambition, service, and ethical leadership remains highly relevant in our contemporary society.
8. What is the lasting legacy of the "Drum Major Instinct" speech? It continues to inspire social justice movements and encourage self-reflection on personal motivations.
9. What are some key takeaways from the "Drum Major Instinct" speech? Prioritize selfless service, examine your motivations, and strive for humility in leadership.


Related Articles:

1. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Philosophy of Nonviolent Resistance: An exploration of King's core beliefs and strategies for achieving social change.
2. The I Have a Dream Speech: A Rhetorical Analysis: A deep dive into the linguistic techniques and persuasive power of King's most famous speech.
3. The Civil Rights Movement and its Impact on American Society: A comprehensive overview of the movement, its key figures, and its long-term consequences.
4. Leadership Lessons from Martin Luther King Jr.: Extracting leadership principles from King's life and speeches, focusing on his ethical approach.
5. The Role of Faith in the Civil Rights Movement: Examining the religious underpinnings of the movement and the influence of faith on King's activism.
6. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail: A Call for Justice: Analysis of this pivotal letter and its impact on the Civil Rights Movement.
7. The Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. in the 21st Century: Examining the ongoing relevance of King's message and his continued influence on social justice movements.
8. Nonviolent Protest Strategies and Tactics: A study of different approaches to nonviolent resistance used in social and political movements.
9. Comparing and Contrasting Leadership Styles of Martin Luther King Jr. and Other Civil Rights Leaders: A comparative analysis of leadership styles within the Civil Rights Movement.


  martin luther king speech drum major: A Knock at Midnight Martin Luther King, Jr Jr., 2014-08-20 Includes eleven sermons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with eleven important introductions by renowned ministers and theologians of our time; Reverend Billy Graham, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Bishop T. D. Jakes, among others.
  martin luther king speech drum major: The Drum Major Instinct Justin Rose, 2019 Though there are several studies devoted to aspects of Martin Luther King Jr.'s intellectual thought, there has been no comprehensive study of his overarching theory of political service. In The Drum Major Instinct, Justin Rose draws on Martin Luther King Jr.'s sermons, political speeches, and writings to construct and conceptualize King's politics as a unified theory. Rose argues that King's theoretical framework--as seen throughout his wide body of writings--has three central components. First, King posited that all of humanity is tied to an ?inescapable network of mutuality? such that no member of society can fully flourish if there are structural barriers preventing others from flourishing. Second, King's theory required that Americans cultivate a sense of love and concern for their fellow members of society, which would motivate them to work collectively toward transforming others and structures of injustice. Finally, King contended that all members of society have the responsibility to participate in collective forms of resistance. This meant that even the oppressed were obligated to engage in political service. Therefore, marginalized people's struggles against injustice were considered an essential aspect of service. Taken together, King's theory of political service calls on all Americans, but especially black Americans, to engage in other-centered, collective action aimed at transforming themselves, others, and structures of injustice. By fully exploring King's thoughts on service, The Drum Major Instinct is an invaluable resource toward understanding how King wanted us all to work to create a more just, democratic society and how his thoughts continue to resonate in contemporary struggles.
  martin luther king speech drum major: A Time to Break Silence Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 2013-11-05 The first collection of King’s essential writings for high school students and young people A Time to Break Silence presents Martin Luther King, Jr.'s most important writings and speeches—carefully selected by teachers across a variety of disciplines—in an accessible and user-friendly volume. Now, for the first time, teachers and students will be able to access Dr. King's writings not only electronically but in stand-alone book form. Arranged thematically in five parts, the collection includes nineteen selections and is introduced by award-winning author Walter Dean Myers. Included are some of Dr. King’s most well-known and frequently taught classic works, including “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream,” as well as lesser-known pieces such as “The Sword that Heals” and “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?” that speak to issues young people face today.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Strength to Love Martin Luther King, Jr., 2019-10-15 The classic collection of Dr. King’s sermons that fuse his Christian teachings with his radical ideas of love and nonviolence as a means to combat hate and oppression. As Martin Luther King, Jr., prepared for the Birmingham campaign in early 1963, he drafted the final sermons for Strength to Love, a volume of his most well known homilies. King had begun working on the sermons during a fortnight in jail in July 1962. While behind bars, he spent uninterrupted time preparing the drafts for works such as “Loving Your Enemies” and “Shattered Dreams,” and he continued to edit the volume after his release. Strength to Love includes these classic sermons selected by Dr. King. Collectively they present King’s fusion of Christian teachings and social consciousness and promote his prescient vision of love as a social and political force for change.
  martin luther king speech drum major: The Essential Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 2013-08-20 A collection of the most well-known and treasured writings and speeches of Dr. King, available for the first time as an ebook The Essential Martin Luther King, Jr. is the ultimate collection of Dr. King's most inspirational and transformative speeches and sermons, accessibly available for the first time as an ebook. Here, in Dr. King's own words, are writings that reveal an intellectual struggle and growth as fierce and alive as any chronicle of his political life could possibly be. Included amongst the twenty selections are Dr. King's most influential and persuasive works such as I Have a Dream and Letter from Birmingham Jail but also the essay Pilgrimage to Nonviolence, and his last sermon I See the Promised Land, preached the day before he was assassinated. Published in honor of the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, The Essential Martin Luther King, Jr. includes twenty selections that celebrate the life's work of our most visionary thinkers. Collectively, they bring us Dr. King in many roles—philosopher, theologian, orator, essayist, and author—and further cement the most powerful and enduring words of a man who touched the conscience of the nation and world.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Martin Luther King, the Inconvenient Hero Vincent Harding, 2008-01-01 In these eloquent essays, the noted scholar and activist Vincent Harding reflects on the forgotten legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the meaning of his life today. Many of these reflections are inspired by the ambiguous message surrounding the official celebration of King's birthday. Harding sees a tendency to freeze an image of King from the period of his early leadership of the Civil Rights movement, the period culminating with his famous I Have a Dream Speech. Harding writes passionately of King's later years, when his message and witness became more radical and challenging to the status quo at every level. In those final years before his assassination King took up the struggle against racism in the urban ghettos of the North; he became an eloquent critic of the Vietnam war; he laid the foundations for the Poor People's Campaign. This widening of his message and his tactics entailed controversy even within his own movement. But they point to a consistent expansion of his critique of American injustice and his solidarity with the oppressed. It was this spirit that brought him to Memphis in 1968 to lend his support to striking sanitation workers. It was there that he paid the final price for his prophetic witness.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Martin Luther King Jr. Peter J. Ling, David Deverick, 2023-05-08 Martin Luther King Jr.: A Reference Guide to His Life and Works allows the reader to explore not just the facets of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s career but the network of associates across the Civil Rights Movement that enabled him to move forward with his campaigns for racial justice. Drawing on wide-ranging scholarship, the volume allows the reader to understand King in the context of his times. It features a chronology, an introduction that briefly covers his life, a comprehensive bibliography, and a dictionary section with entries on people, places, and events related to him.
  martin luther king speech drum major: A Gift of Love Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 2012-11-06 A landmark collection of Martin Luther King Jr.’s best known homilies and sermons—with selections from Strength to Love. As Dr. King prepared for the Birmingham campaign in early 1963, he drafted the final sermons for Strength to Love, a volume of his most best-known homilies. King had begun working on the sermons during a fortnight in jail in July 1962. While behind bars, he spent uninterrupted time preparing the drafts for works such as “Loving Your Enemies” and “Shattered Dreams,” and he continued to edit the volume after his release. Full Sermon List: • A Tough Mind and a Tender Heart • Transformed Nonconformist • On Being a Good Neighbor • Love in action • Loving Your Enemies • A Knock at Midnight • The Man Who Was a Fool • The Death of Evil Upon the Seashore • Shattered Dreams • Our God is Able • Antidotes for Fear • The Answer to a Perplexing Question • Paul’s Letter to American Christians • Pilgrimage to nonviolence • The Drum Major Instinct • The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life A Gift of Love includes most of the classic sermons from Strength to Love, along with 2 new sermons. Collectively they present King’s fusion of Christian teachings and social consciousness, and promote his prescient vision of love as a social and political force for change.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Strength to Love Martin Luther King, 1969
  martin luther king speech drum major: Martin Luther King, Jr Joseph Nazel, 1991 Thurgood Marshall, the first Black American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, fought for civil rights and was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1987.
  martin luther king speech drum major: "Thou, Dear God" Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 2011-11-29 Thou, Dear God is the first and only collection of sixty-eight prayers by Martin Luther King, Jr. Arranged thematically in six parts--with prayers for spiritual guidance, special occasions, times of adversity, times of trial, uncertain times, and social justice--Baptist minister and King scholar Lewis Baldwin introduces the book and each section with short essays. Included are both personal and public prayers King recited as a seminarian, graduate student, preacher, pastor, and, finally, civil rights leader, along with a special section that reveals the biblical sources that most inspired King. Collectively they illustrate how King turned to private prayer for his own spiritual fulfillment and to public prayer as a way to move, inspire, and reaffirm a quest for peace and social justice. With a foreword by Rev. Dr. Julius R. Scruggs, it is the perfect gift for people and leaders of all faiths, and an invaluable resource for spiritual individuals and those who lead worship.
  martin luther king speech drum major: The Seminarian Patrick Parr, David Garrow, 2018-04-01 2018 and 2019 Washington State Book Award Finalist (Biography/Memoir) • Excerpted in The Atlantic and Politico • TIME Magazine – One of 6 Books to Read in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Death Martin Luther King Jr. was a cautious nineteen-year-old rookie preacher when he left Atlanta, Georgia, to attend divinity school up north. At Crozer Theological Seminary, King, or ML back then, immediately found himself surrounded by a white staff and white professors. Even his dorm room had once been used by wounded Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. In addition, his fellow seminarians were almost all older; some were soldiers who had fought in World War II, others pacifists who had chosen jail instead of enlisting. ML was facing challenges he'd barely dreamed of. A prankster and a late-night, chain-smoking pool player, ML soon fell in love with a white woman, all the while adjusting to life in an integrated student body and facing discrimination from locals in the surrounding town of Chester, Pennsylvania. In class, ML performed well, though he demonstrated a habit of plagiarizing that continued throughout his academic career. But he was helped by friendships with fellow seminarians and the mentorship of the Reverend J. Pius Barbour. In his three years at Crozer between 1948 and 1951, King delivered dozens of sermons around the Philadelphia area, had a gun pointed at him (twice), played on the basketball team, and eventually became student body president. These experiences shaped him into a man ready to take on even greater challenges. Based on dozens of revealing interviews with the men and women who knew him then,The Seminarian is the first definitive, full-length account of King's years as a divinity student at Crozer Theological Seminary. Long passed over by biographers and historians, this period in King's life is vital to understanding the historical figure he soon became.
  martin luther king speech drum major: A Testament of Hope Martin Luther King, 1990-12-07 We've got some difficult days ahead, civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., told a crowd gathered at Memphis's Clayborn Temple on April 3, 1968. But it really doesn't matter to me now because I've been to the mountaintop. . . . And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land. These prohetic words, uttered the day before his assassination, challenged those he left behind to see that his promised land of racial equality became a reality; a reality to which King devoted the last twelve years of his life. These words and other are commemorated here in the only major one-volume collection of this seminal twentieth-century American prophet's writings, speeches, interviews, and autobiographical reflections. A Testament of Hope contains Martin Luther King, Jr.'s essential thoughts on nonviolence, social policy, integration, black nationalism, the ethics of love and hope, and more.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Be the Bridge Latasha Morrison, 2019-10-15 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • ECPA BESTSELLER • “When it comes to the intersection of race, privilege, justice, and the church, Tasha is without question my best teacher. Be the Bridge is THE tool I wish to put in every set of hands.”—Jen Hatmaker WINNER OF THE CHRISTIAN BOOK AWARD® • Winner of the Christianity Today Book Award • A leading advocate for racial reconciliation calls Christians to move toward deeper understanding in the midst of a divisive culture. In an era where we seem to be increasingly divided along racial lines, many are hesitant to step into the gap, fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing. At times the silence, particularly within the church, seems deafening. But change begins with an honest conversation among a group of Christians willing to give a voice to unspoken hurts, hidden fears, and mounting tensions. These ongoing dialogues have formed the foundation of a global movement called Be the Bridge—a nonprofit organization whose goal is to equip the church to have a distinctive and transformative response to racism and racial division. In this perspective-shifting book, founder Latasha Morrison shows how you can participate in this incredible work and replicate it in your own community. With conviction and grace, she examines the historical complexities of racism. She expertly applies biblical principles, such as lamentation, confession, and forgiveness, to lay the framework for restoration. Along with prayers, discussion questions, and other resources to enhance group engagement, Be the Bridge presents a compelling vision of what it means for every follower of Jesus to become a bridge builder—committed to pursuing justice and racial unity in light of the gospel.
  martin luther king speech drum major: The Radical King Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 2016-01-12 A revealing collection that restores Dr. King as being every bit as radical as Malcolm X “The radical King was a democratic socialist who sided with poor and working people in the class struggle taking place in capitalist societies. . . . The response of the radical King to our catastrophic moment can be put in one word: revolution—a revolution in our priorities, a reevaluation of our values, a reinvigoration of our public life, and a fundamental transformation of our way of thinking and living that promotes a transfer of power from oligarchs and plutocrats to everyday people and ordinary citizens. . . . Could it be that we know so little of the radical King because such courage defies our market-driven world?” —Cornel West, from the Introduction Every year, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is celebrated as one of the greatest orators in US history, an ambassador for nonviolence who became perhaps the most recognizable leader of the civil rights movement. But after more than forty years, few people appreciate how truly radical he was. Arranged thematically in four parts, The Radical King includes twenty-three selections, curated and introduced by Dr. Cornel West, that illustrate King’s revolutionary vision, underscoring his identification with the poor, his unapologetic opposition to the Vietnam War, and his crusade against global imperialism. As West writes, “Although much of America did not know the radical King—and too few know today—the FBI and US government did. They called him ‘the most dangerous man in America.’ . . . This book unearths a radical King that we can no longer sanitize.”
  martin luther king speech drum major: The Only Alternative Alan Nelson, John Malkin, 2008-06-15 The radical message of Jesus is that there is only one alternative to the common method of confronting violence with more violence. The Only Alternative: Christian Nonviolent Peacemakers in America explores the spiritually active practice of compassionate nonviolence. Here is a journey through the lives of seven courageous American peacemakers who have embodied Christian nonviolence and dedicated their lives to addressing the suffering caused by racial discrimination, slavery, poverty, militarism, nuclear weapons, prisons, environmental degradation, and the psychology of fear and hatred. Here are highlights from the inspirational ideas and actions of Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Rufus Jones, Thomas Kelly, Jim Douglass, and Kathy Kelly. They remind us that to be Christian is to use the power of love to transform spiritual, economic, and social violence. The great turning from violence to nonviolence is the story of Christianity in America. There has never been a more urgent time for this revolutionary teaching to be heard, understood, and lived. It is no longer a choice, my friends, between violence and nonviolence. It is either nonviolence or nonexistence . . . --Martin Luther King Jr. Human beings are now facing the stark choice between survival and destruction amid myriad forms of violence. The nonviolent peacemakers within this book can inspire the peacemaker within each of us to cultivate a direct relationship with God and love through contemplation, meditation, writing, and compassionate action based in the life and teachings of Jesus.
  martin luther king speech drum major: America's Prophet Bruce Feiler, 2009-10-06 Bruce Feiler’s New York Times bestsellers Abraham, Walking the Bible, and Where God Was Born brilliantly explored the roots of faith. With America’s Prophet, Feiler looks at Moses and the essential role the prophet has played in our nation’s history and development. Bruce Feiler’s most fascinating and thought-provoking book to date, America’s Prophet delves deeply into how the Exodus story and America’s true “Spiritual Founding Father” have inspired many of the most important figures and defining events in this country’s history—from the Mayflower Pilgrims to the Civil Rights movement—and how Moses can provide meaning in times of national crisis, even today.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Breaking White Supremacy Gary J. Dorrien, 2018-01-01 This magisterial follow-up to The New Abolition, a Grawemeyer Award winner, tells the crucial second chapter in the black social gospel's history. The civil rights movement was one of the most searing developments in modern American history. It abounded with noble visions, resounded with magnificent rhetoric, and ended in nightmarish despair. It won a few legislative victories and had a profound impact on U.S. society, but failed to break white supremacy. The symbol of the movement, Martin Luther King Jr., soared so high that he tends to overwhelm anything associated with him. Yet the tradition that best describes him and other leaders of the civil rights movement has been strangely overlooked. In his latest book, Gary Dorrien continues to unearth the heyday and legacy of the black social gospel, a tradition with a shimmering history, a martyred central figure, and enduring relevance today. This part of the story centers around King and the mid-twentieth-century black church leaders who embraced the progressive, justice-oriented, internationalist social gospel from the beginning of their careers and fulfilled it, inspiring and leading America's greatest liberation movement.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Karl Marx’s Life, Ideas, and Influences Shaibal Gupta, Marcello Musto, Babak Amini, 2019-09-28 Since the latest crisis of capitalism broke out in 2008, Marx has been back in fashion, and sometimes it seems that his ideas have never been as topical, or as commanding of respect and interest, as they are today. This edited collection arises from one of the largest international conferences dedicated to the bicentenary of Marx’s birth. The volume contains 16 chapters authored by globally renowned scholars and is divided into two parts: I) On the Critique of Politics; II) On the Critique of Political Economy. These contributions, from multiple academic disciplines, offer diverse perspectives on why Marx is still so relevant for our times and make this book a source of great appeal for both expert scholars of Marx as well as students and general readers who are approaching his theories for the first time.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Forgiveness and Power in the Age of Atrocity Shann Ray Ferch, 2012 In a fresh rendering of the role of leaders as healers, Forgiveness and Power in the Age of Atrocity considers love and power in the midst of personal, political, and social upheaval. Unexpected atrocity coexists alongside the quiet subtleties of mercy, and people and nations currently encounter a world in which not even the certainties of existence remain even as grace can sometimes arise under the most difficult circumstances. Ultimately, Forgiveness and Power in the Age of Atrocity is a book about the alienation and intimacy at war within us all. Ferch speaks to categorical human transgressions in the hope that readers will be compelled to examine their own prejudices and engage the moral responsibility to evoke in their own personal life, work life, and larger national communities a more humane and life-giving coexistence. In addition to a primary focus on servant leadership, the book addresses three interwoven aspects of social responsibility: 1) the nature of personal responsibility 2) the nature of privilege and the conscious and unconscious violence against humanity often harbored in a blindly privileged stance, and 3) the encounter with forgiveness and forgiveness-asking grounded in a personal and collective obligation to the well-being of humanity. Modernist and postmodernist notions of the will to meaning are considered against the philosophical notion of the will to power. The book examines the everyday existence of human values in a time when we inhabit a world filled as much with unwarranted cruelty as with the disarming nature of authentic and life-affirming love. The book asks the question: Can ultimate forgiveness change the heart of violence? In Forgiveness and Power, people are challenged not only by the work of profound thought leaders such as Mandela, Tutu, but also Simone Weil, Vaclav Havel, Emerson, Mary Oliver, Martin Luther King, Paulo Freire, bell hooks, and Robert Greenleaf. The hope of the book is that people of all ages and creeds come to a deeper understanding and of personal and collective responsibility for leadership that helps heal the heart of the world.
  martin luther king speech drum major: W. E. B. Du Bois and the Critique of the Competitive Society Andrew J. Douglas, 2019-08-15 Competition and competitiveness are roundly celebrated as public values and key indicators of a dynamic and forward-thinking society. But the headlong embrace of competitive market principles, increasingly prevalent in our neoliberal age, often obscures the enduring divisiveness of a society set up to produce winners and losers. In this inspired and thoughtfully argued book, Andrew J. Douglas turns to the later writings of W. E. B. Du Bois to reevaluate the very terms of the competitive society. Situating Du Bois in relation to the Depression-era roots of contemporary neoliberal thinking, Douglas shows that into the 1930s Du Bois ratcheted up a race-conscious indictment of capitalism and liberal democracy and posed unsettling questions about how the compulsory pull of market relations breeds unequal outcomes and underwrites the perpetuation of racial animosities. Blending historical analysis with ethical and political theory, and casting new light on several aspects of Du Bois’s thinking, this book makes a compelling case that Du Bois’s sweeping disillusionment with Western liberalism is as timely now as ever.
  martin luther king speech drum major: My Uncle Martin's Big Heart Angela Farris Watkins, 2020-12-22 A moving portrait of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. from his niece My Uncle Martin’s Big Heart is a story about love: love between a young girl and her uncle, and all the love she sees her uncle share—with his family members, with his church congregation, and with all people. In this inspiring narrative about Martin Luther King Jr.—told by his niece—young readers will discover the story of the man behind the civil rights hero and activist, one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century. As Angela Farris Watkins, PhD, introduces children to her uncle, she presents them with a rare glimpse into his life at home, including special family moments. What unfolds is a story of character and service to God, family, and humankind, and of how one man’s extraordinary love changed the history of the United States and the world.
  martin luther king speech drum major: I May Not Get There with You Michael Eric Dyson, 2000 A private citizen who transformed the world around him, Martin Luther King, Jr., was arguably the greatest American who ever lived. Now, after more than thirty years, few people understand how truly radical he was. In this groundbreaking examination of the man and his legacy, provocative author, lecturer, and professor Michael Eric Dyson restores King's true vitality and complexity and challenges us to embrace the very contradictions that make King relevant in today's world.
  martin luther king speech drum major: The Word of the Lord Is Upon Me Jonathan Rieder, 2009-06-30 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, 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.
  martin luther king speech drum major: The Liberatory Thought of Martin Luther King Jr. Robert E. Birt, 2012-09-15 The Liberatory Philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. is a philosophical anthology which explores Dr. King’s legacy as a philosopher and his contemporary relevance as a thinker-activist. It consists of sixteen chapters organized into four sections: Part I, King within Philosophical Traditions, Part II, King as Engaged Social and Political Philosopher, Part III, King’s Ethics of Nonviolence, and Part IV, Hope Resurgent or Dream Deferred: Perplexities of King’s Philosophical Optimism. Most chapters are written by philosophers, but two are by philosophically informed social scientists. The contributors examine King’s relationships to canonical Western philosophical traditions, and to African-American thought. King’s contribution to traditional branches of philosophy such as ethics, social philosophy and philosophy of religion is explored, as well as his relevance to contemporary movements for social justice. As is evident from the title, the book considers the importance of King’s thought as liberatory discourse. Some chapters focus on “topical” issues like the relevance of King’s moral critique of the Vietnam War to our present involvement in Middle Eastern wars. Others focus on more densely theoretical issues such as Personalism, existential philosophy or Hegelian dialectics in King’s thought. The significance of King’s reflections on racism, economic justice, democracy and the quest for community are abiding themes. But the volume closes, quite fittingly, on the importance of the theme of hope. The text is a kind of philosophical dialogue on the enduring value of the legacy of the philosopher, King.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Martin Luther King Jr. Michael A. Schuman, Anne E. Schraff, 2017-07-15 Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that, one day, all people would be viewed equally, no matter the color of their skin. And he fought hard for civil rights for African Americans, eventually even giving his life to the cause. This compelling biography explores King’s early life and his activism in his own words within the context of the Jim Crow American South, along with his victories and the way in which he changed our world. Students will be guided through their reading with a glossary of important terms, a timeline of King’s life and important events in the civil rights movement, and resources for further learning.
  martin luther king speech drum major: The iPINIONS Journal Anthony Livingston Hall, 2013-04-02 From the spectacle that is the U.S. presidential election to the London Olympics to the Secret-Service sex scandal to rising tensions between China and Japan and to Superstorm Sandy, The iPINIONS Journal takes a look at it all. In this eighth volume of political commentaries, author Anthony Livingston Hall examines an eclectic mix of worldwide topics that became a part of 2012. Insightful and often humorous, Hall discusses the topics of the day, including the political mnage a trois involving the French president, his ex-wife, and current consort; the Miami Heats dream team come true; the fall from grace of CIA director General David Petraeus; the costly comeuppance of Lance Armstrong; the fiscal cliff; Twitter no better than Twinkies; deaths of famous people; the mysterious vigil for Venezuelan leader Hugo Chvez; and more. Through this collection of lively and thought-provoking commentaries, Hall, an unsparing, equal-opportunity critic, provides a refreshing worldview of the global events of 2012.
  martin luther king speech drum major: The Calendar of Loss Dagmawi Woubshet, 2015-05-15 A revelatory examination of AIDS mourning at the intersection of black and queer studies. His world view colored by growing up in 1980s Ethiopia, where death governed time and temperament, Dagmawi Woubshet offers a startlingly fresh interpretation of melancholy and mourning during the early years of the AIDS epidemic in The Calendar of Loss. When society denies a patient's disease and then forbids survivors mourning rites, how does a child bear witness to a parent's death or a lover grieve for his beloved? Looking at a range of high and popular works of grief—including elegies, eulogies, epistles to the dead, funerals, and obituaries—Woubshet identifies a unique expression of mourning that emerged in the 1980s and early 1990s in direct response to the AIDS catastrophe. What Woubshet dubs a poetics of compounding loss expresses what it was like for queer mourners to grapple with the death of lovers and friends in rapid succession while also coming to terms with the fact of their own imminent mortality. The time, consolation, and closure that allow the bereaved to get through loss were for the mourners in this book painfully thwarted, since with each passing friend, and with mounting numbers of the dead, they were provided with yet more evidence of the certain fatality of the virus inside them. Ultimately, the book argues, these disprized mourners turned to their sorrow as a necessary vehicle of survival, placing open grief at the center of art and protest, insisting that lives could be saved through the very speech acts precipitated by death. An innovative and moving study, The Calendar of Loss illuminates how AIDS mourning confounds and traverses how we have come to think about loss and grief, insisting that the bereaved can confront death in the face of shame and stigma in eloquent ways that also imply a fierce political sensibility and a longing for justice.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Rooted in the Earth Dianne D. Glave, 2010-08 With a basis in environmental history, this groundbreaking study challenges the idea that a meaningful attachment to nature and the outdoors is contrary to the black experience. The discussion shows that contemporary African American culture is usually seen as an urban culture, one that arose out of the Great Migration and has contributed to international trends in fashion, music, and the arts ever since. However, because of this urban focus, many African Americans are not at peace with their rich but tangled agrarian legacy. On one hand, the book shows, nature and violence are connected in black memory, especially in disturbing images such as slave ships on the ocean, exhaustion in the fields, dogs in the woods, and dead bodies hanging from trees. In contrast, though, there is also a competing tradition of African American stewardship of the land that should be better known. Emphasizing the tradition of black environmentalism and using storytelling techniques to dramatize the work of black naturalists, this account corrects the record and urges interested urban dwellers to get back to the land.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Spirit Speech Dr. Luke A. Powery, 2010-10-01 That the Holy Spirit is present in preaching is something we take for granted. How the Spirit is present is a question we seldom ask. Luke Powery suggests that we fail to ask that question to the detriment of our preaching. Drawing on the tradition of African American preaching, he locates the Spirit’s activity in the sermon in two primary places; First, in celebration, the joyous acceptance of God’s gifts to the church and to the world. But equally as powerful is the expression of lament, the lifting up of our sorrow, grief, and suffering. In these two experiences the Spirit plays the decisive role, enabling the preacher to lay the congregation’s joys and sorrows at the feet of the living God, and announcing God’s presence in both our celebration and our lament.
  martin luther king speech drum major: The Battle for Augusta National Alan Shipnuck, 2008-06-17 The controversy began with a seemingly innocuous private letter, and spiraled into the biggest media event in golf history. The Augusta National membership dispute dominated headlines and watercooler conversation for nearly a year, propelled by twenty-first-century hot-button issues and a pair of perfectly drawn foils in Hootie Johnson and Martha Burk. But a year after Burk's messy Masters week protest, the meaning of the membership controversy remains elusive. In The Battle for Augusta National, Alan Shipnuck -- who reinvented the PGA Tour narrative with the rollicking Bud, Sweat, & Tees -- provides the definitive account of what really happened and why. In this lively, irreverent, ambitious book, Shipnuck chases the story from the chairman's office at Augusta National to the living room of the One Man Klan, along the way bringing to life a vivid cast of characters and revealing subplots aplenty. With meticulous reporting and penetrating insights, Shipnuck provides a nuanced look into the complex and contradictory worlds of Hootie and Martha, who were drawn together like moths to a flame; reveals Augusta National's secret plots to undermine the press and the accompanying turmoil at The New York Times, including an exclusive interview with the Times's disgraced executive editor, Howell Raines; and explores the Southern politics that led to Burk's Masters week banishment, drawing on Senate confirmation hearings and campaign contribution documents to link local politicians and a federal judge to Augusta National. From Tiger Woods to Jack Welch, Sandra Day O'Connor to Bryant Gumbel, Treasury Secretary Snow to Jesse Jackson, the gang's all here in this withering look at a story that never stopped churning. Along the way, many of the membership controversy's mysteries are revealed. How did Augusta National's top-secret membership roll become public? Who was the shadowy protester identified by hoodwinked reporters as Heywood Jablome? Did Burk lie about a vast right-wing conspiracy to undermine her demonstration? All of this and much more can be found in The Battle for Augusta National, a book that captures the passion and absurdity of a great national debate that continues to simmer.
  martin luther king speech drum major: The Voice of Conscience Lewis V. Baldwin, 2010 Before he was a civil rights leader, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a man of the church. His father was a pastor, and much of young Martin's time was spent in Baptist churches. He went on to seminary and received a Ph.D. in theology. In 1953, he took over leadership of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Atlanta. The church was his home. But, as he began working for civil rights, King became a fierce critic of the churches, both black and white. He railed against white Christian leaders who urged him to be patient in the struggle - or even opposed civil rights altogether. And, while the black church was the platform from which King launched the struggle for civil rights, he was deeply ambivalent toward the church as an institution, and saw it as in constant need of reform. In this book, Lewis Baldwin explores King's complex relationship with the Christian church, from his days growing up at Ebenezer Baptist, to his work as a pastor, to his battles with American churches over civil rights, to his vision for the global church. King, Baldwin argues, had a robust and multifaceted view of the nature and purpose of the church that serves as a model for the church in the 21st century.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Death of a King Tavis Smiley, 2014-09-09 A revealing and dramatic chronicle of the twelve months leading up to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination. Martin Luther King, Jr. died in one of the most shocking assassinations the world has known, but little is remembered about the life he led in his final year. New York Times bestselling author and award-winning broadcaster Tavis Smiley recounts the final 365 days of King's life, revealing the minister's trials and tribulations -- denunciations by the press, rejection from the president, dismissal by the country's black middle class and militants, assaults on his character, ideology, and political tactics, to name a few -- all of which he had to rise above in order to lead and address the racism, poverty, and militarism that threatened to destroy our democracy. Smiley's Death of a King paints a portrait of a leader and visionary in a narrative different from all that have come before. Here is an exceptional glimpse into King's life -- one that adds both nuance and gravitas to his legacy as an American hero.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Stride Toward Freedom Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 2010-01-01 MLK’s classic account of the first successful large-scale act of nonviolent resistance in America: the Montgomery bus boycott. A young Dr. King wrote Stride Toward Freedom just 2 years after the successful completion of the boycott. In his memoir about the event, he tells the stories that informed his radical political thinking before, during, and after the boycott—from first witnessing economic injustice as a teenager and watching his parents experience discrimination to his decision to begin working with the NAACP. Throughout, he demonstrates how activism and leadership can come from any experience at any age. Comprehensive and intimate, Stride Toward Freedom emphasizes the collective nature of the movement and includes King’s experiences learning from other activists working on the boycott, including Mrs. Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin. It traces the phenomenal journey of a community and shows how the 28-year-old Dr. King, with his conviction for equality and nonviolence, helped transform the nation and the world.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Going Down Jericho Road: The Memphis Strike, Martin Luther King's Last Campaign Michael K. Honey, 2011-02-07 The definitive history of the epic struggle for economic justice that became Martin Luther King Jr.'s last crusade. Memphis in 1968 was ruled by a paternalistic plantation mentality embodied in its good-old-boy mayor, Henry Loeb. Wretched conditions, abusive white supervisors, poor education, and low wages locked most black workers into poverty. Then two sanitation workers were chewed up like garbage in the back of a faulty truck, igniting a public employee strike that brought to a boil long-simmering issues of racial injustice. With novelistic drama and rich scholarly detail, Michael Honey brings to life the magnetic characters who clashed on the Memphis battlefield: stalwart black workers; fiery black ministers; volatile, young, black-power advocates; idealistic organizers and tough-talking unionists; the first black members of the Memphis city council; the white upper crust who sought to prevent change or conflagration; and, finally, the magisterial Martin Luther King Jr., undertaking a Poor People's Campaign at the crossroads of his life, vilified as a subversive, hounded by the FBI, and seeing in the working poor of Memphis his hopes for a better America.
  martin luther king speech drum major: Marching to the Mountaintop Ann Bausum, 2012 In early 1968 the grisly on-the-job deaths of two African-American sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, prompted an extended strike by that city's segregated force of trash collectors. Workers sought union protection, higher wages, improved safety, and the integration of their work force. Their work stoppage became a part of the larger civil rights movement and drew an impressive array of national movement leaders to Memphis, including, on more than one occasion, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King added his voice to the struggle in what became the final speech of his life. His assassination.
  martin luther king speech drum major: King Returns to Washington Jefferson Walker, 2017-12-09 Exploring the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial (King Memorial) in Washington, DC through a multi-faceted rhetorical analysis of the site's visual and textual components, Jefferson Walker reveals multiple critical, popular, privileged, and vernacular interpretations of the site and Dr. Martin Luther King's memory. Walker argues that the King Memorial and its related texts help to universalize and institutionalize King's ethos - creating a contentious rhetorical battleground where various people and organizations contest the ownership and use of King's memory. Walker uses these analyses to uncover how the site contributes to the public memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
  martin luther king speech drum major: The Preacher King Richard Lischer, 2020 The Preacher King investigates Martin Luther King Jr.'s religious development from a precocious preacher's kid in segregated Atlanta to the most influential America preacher and orator of the twentieth century. To give the most accurate and intimate portrait possible, Richard Lischer draws almost exclusively on King's unpublished sermons and speeches, as well as tape recordings, personal interviews, and even police surveillance reports. By returning to the raw sources, Lischer recaptures King's truest preaching voice and, consequently, something of the real King himself. He shows how as the son, grandson, and great-grandson of preachers, King early on absorbed the poetic cadences, traditions, and power of the pulpit, more profoundly influenced by his fellow African-American preachers than by Gandhi and the classical philosophers. Lischer also reveals a later phase of King's development that few of his biographers or critics have addressed: the prophetic rage with which he condemned American religious and political hypocrisy. During the last three years of his life, Lischer shows, King accused his country of genocide, warned of long hot summers in the ghettos, and called for a radical redistribution of wealth. 25 years after its initial publication, The Preacher King remains a critical study that captures the crucial aspect of Martin Luther King Jr.'s identity. Human, complex, and passionate, King was the consummate American preacher who never quit trying to reshape the moral and political character of the nation.
  martin luther king speech drum major: LIFE Martin Luther King Jr. The Editors of LIFE, Charles Johnson, John Lewis, 2018-03-16 Fifty years after his death, the principles and vision of Martin Luther King Jr. continue to be a guiding light for many leaders and many Americans. In a life cut far too short-he was assassinated at age 39-King left a legacy through his remarkable dedication to nonviolent protest, his clear righteousness and his powerful words.
  martin luther king speech drum major: The End of White World Supremacy Roderick Bush, Rod Bush, 2009-07-28 The End of White World Supremacy explores a complex issue—integration of Blacks into White America—from multiple perspectives: within the United States, globally, and in the context of movements for social justice. Rod Bush locates himself within a tradition of African American activism that goes back at least to W.E.B. Du Bois. In so doing, he communicates between two literatures—world systems analysis and radical Black social movement history—and sustains the dialogue throughout the book. Bush explains how racial troubles in the U.S. are symptomatic of the troubled relationship between the white and dark worlds globally. Beginning with an account of white European dominance leading to capitalist dominance by White America, The Endof White World Supremacy ultimately wonders whether, as Myrdal argued in the 1940s, the American creed can provide a pathway to break this historical conundrum and give birth to international social justice.