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I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial looking out over thousands of troubled Americans who had gathered in the name of civil rights and uttered his now famous words, "I have a dream . . ." It was a speech that changed the course of history.This fortieth-anniversary edition honors Martin Luther King Jr.'s courageous dream and his immeasurable contribution by presenting his most memorable words in a concise and convenient edition. As Coretta Scott King says in her foreword, "This collection includes many of what I consider to be my husband's most important writings and orations." In addition to the famed keynote address of the 1963 march on Washington, the renowned civil rights leader's most influential words included here are the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," the essay "Pilgrimage to Nonviolence," and his last sermon, "I See the Promised Land," preached the day before he was assassinated.
210 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
97 people are currently reading
6676 people want to read
About the author
Martin Luther King Jr.
309 books3,395 followersMartin Luther King, Jr. was one of the pivotal leaders of the American civil rights movement. King was a Baptist minister, one of the few leadership roles available to black men at the time. He became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–1956) and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1957), serving as its first president. His efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Here he raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and established himself as one of the greatest orators in U.S. history. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means.
King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a national holiday in the United States in 1986. In 2004, King was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.
King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a national holiday in the United States in 1986. In 2004, King was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
May 2, 2019
I loved this book and it will definitely go on my re-read pile. It literally had me weeping. There was so much to think about here. Not only about the man, but about his message and his preaching. It was all an amazing read.
I loved that the audio contained the actual recordings of this speeches and his sermons. It was great to listen to not only his words, but also to hear the passion in his voice. It was wonderful. What a great man. What great messages.
I loved his use of the New Testament stories in his sermons. And what I really loved, was to see his progression from one of his early speeches to the very last one before he was assassinated. I recommend this to all.
I loved that the audio contained the actual recordings of this speeches and his sermons. It was great to listen to not only his words, but also to hear the passion in his voice. It was wonderful. What a great man. What great messages.
I loved his use of the New Testament stories in his sermons. And what I really loved, was to see his progression from one of his early speeches to the very last one before he was assassinated. I recommend this to all.
September 9, 2020
Full of motivation ! !
February 8, 2025
“The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
This was perhaps the single most important thing for me to read in light of today’s rapidly deteriorating social and moral climate. Dr. King has provided me a certain sort of hope for the future that inclines me to act, to love, and to shed this hate that is too great a burden to bear. If King had hope for his and his children’s future as a black man in the 60’s, how foolish of me to think that all hope is now lost for me today.
“It is both historically and biologically true that there can be no birth and growth without birth and growing pains. Whenever there is the emergence of the new we confront the recalcitrance of the old. So the tensions which we witness in the world today are indicative of the fact that a new world order is being born and an old order is passing away.”
This was perhaps the single most important thing for me to read in light of today’s rapidly deteriorating social and moral climate. Dr. King has provided me a certain sort of hope for the future that inclines me to act, to love, and to shed this hate that is too great a burden to bear. If King had hope for his and his children’s future as a black man in the 60’s, how foolish of me to think that all hope is now lost for me today.
“It is both historically and biologically true that there can be no birth and growth without birth and growing pains. Whenever there is the emergence of the new we confront the recalcitrance of the old. So the tensions which we witness in the world today are indicative of the fact that a new world order is being born and an old order is passing away.”
July 25, 2011
We read this for a peace and justice class I took this semester at Eastern Mennonite University, and out of the books I’ve seen on King, this one does perhaps the best job of including the entire significance of his message in just over 200 pages. All sides, from the most quoted and convenient, to the most grating and uncomfortable are included. You will recognize many quotes as they have been repeated ad infinitum in our media for decades. Some of the lesser known quotes are understandably left out of the media as they don’t coincide with our historical national agenda such as this one concerning the Vietnam War: “God didn’t call America to do what she’s doing in the world now. God didn’t call America to engage in a senseless, unjust war, such as the war in Vietnam. And we are criminals in that war. We have committed more war crimes almost than any nation in the world, and I’m going to continue to say it. And we won’t stop it because of our pride, and our arrogance as a nation…But God has a way of putting nations in their place…” It’s quite clear to me how King would feel about many of our current endeavors. I am unsure of the source, but someone once said: “Dead men make such convenient heroes: They cannot rise to challenge the images we would fashion from their lives.” One wonders what would be the reaction if we quoted the King that uttered prophetic messages like that one…instead of the same “I have a dream” speech that we hear every year on his token holiday. For those unfamiliar with this side of King, and the COMPLETE transcripts of his major speeches and essays, this is a must read.
October 27, 2009
This is the BEST BOOK by Martin Luther King Jr.The book title is "I HAVE A DREAM".This title is so important because it talks about how Martin Luther King JR has a dream that 1 day racism will stop.That blacks and white will get along together and form a perfect Union.That 1 day is children will grow up to be important people in the world.That they will be remembered forever.This book is about how the speeches that Martin Luther King Jr made changed the world that made racism stop and made blacks and whites together to make a more perfect Union.And guess what,hes dream was accomplished.SO martin Luther king Jr will be remembered for ever and eternity.Every person that loves history should read this book.Once they read the whole book it is going to be their #1 favorite book.I think that,that will happen because that is what happened me.Martin Luther King Jr is the most important person that made history in the world.
February 17, 2021
Thought provoking, inspiring, guiding words to live by. Relevant today as it was when written. We all should read, learn and follow.
January 19, 2020
Martin Luther King was a great speaker. This "I Have a Dream" speech was just vivid and eloquent, so that anyone with normal brain was to be touched.
I'm sure everyone, again, with a normal Human brain, would agree with my feedback to his speech. So I'd like to talk about something different that his speech also helps us think about.
I've realized that Martin Luther King Jr., in his own speeches, always called the African-Americans "Negros."
Negro just meant black color just like "noir" in French, and Kepi Noir (Black Cap) is the symbol of leadership in French armed forces (only the Officers and NCOs wear the black one). Besides, as far as I know there are at least two rivers called Negro in Latin America, meaning Black River.
We don’t feel offended either when we hear somebody talking about the “Black Knights.” Actually the Marine aviation “Black Knights” squadron leader was an African-American Captain, who made me join the Marine Corps; he was my dream (It wasn't just in the movie "Independence Day (1996)", but the squadron really existed in El Toro, CA, where I grew up, until 1996).
However, today the word "Negro" is demeaning and tabooed, just like "Josen-jin", which simply meant Chosun-iin (the Koreans from the Kingdom of Chosun) in Japanese, but Koreans hate that word like the African-Americans today hate Negro calling that the "N" word. See how things change in our language lives?
I think reading the speech once again turned out very meaningful after all.
…with this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together...
- Martin Luther King, Jr. in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963
I'm sure everyone, again, with a normal Human brain, would agree with my feedback to his speech. So I'd like to talk about something different that his speech also helps us think about.
I've realized that Martin Luther King Jr., in his own speeches, always called the African-Americans "Negros."
Negro just meant black color just like "noir" in French, and Kepi Noir (Black Cap) is the symbol of leadership in French armed forces (only the Officers and NCOs wear the black one). Besides, as far as I know there are at least two rivers called Negro in Latin America, meaning Black River.
We don’t feel offended either when we hear somebody talking about the “Black Knights.” Actually the Marine aviation “Black Knights” squadron leader was an African-American Captain, who made me join the Marine Corps; he was my dream (It wasn't just in the movie "Independence Day (1996)", but the squadron really existed in El Toro, CA, where I grew up, until 1996).
However, today the word "Negro" is demeaning and tabooed, just like "Josen-jin", which simply meant Chosun-iin (the Koreans from the Kingdom of Chosun) in Japanese, but Koreans hate that word like the African-Americans today hate Negro calling that the "N" word. See how things change in our language lives?
I think reading the speech once again turned out very meaningful after all.
…with this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together...
- Martin Luther King, Jr. in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963
January 21, 2025
Read today instead of watching the country crumble….
This obviously isn’t the main take away but crazy to think a population used to have the attention span to listen to speeches with great rhetorical construction and allusions to ancient greece, the bible, american history and actually grok why they were there.
This obviously isn’t the main take away but crazy to think a population used to have the attention span to listen to speeches with great rhetorical construction and allusions to ancient greece, the bible, american history and actually grok why they were there.
July 14, 2022
I always loved MLK Jr and what he stood for. He's a true inspiration and I wish there were more people like him. There are definitely people trying to be like him and steal his stories but no one will ever compare.
I originally read this book because I was looking for a particular speech. A lot of individuals love to take quotes and misuse them to further their points and agendas. Last year a lot of people were throwing around an MLK Jr quote and I'm pretty certain it was misused considering he was all about nonviolence for a reason.
That speech wasn't in this book but I'm not even mad about it because I got to read so much more and enjoyed it. My love solidify reading his words.
I highly recommend this book for everyone to read at some point. ❤️
I originally read this book because I was looking for a particular speech. A lot of individuals love to take quotes and misuse them to further their points and agendas. Last year a lot of people were throwing around an MLK Jr quote and I'm pretty certain it was misused considering he was all about nonviolence for a reason.
That speech wasn't in this book but I'm not even mad about it because I got to read so much more and enjoyed it. My love solidify reading his words.
I highly recommend this book for everyone to read at some point. ❤️
January 31, 2022
Great collection of Dr. King's most important speeches and writings. I plan to revisit his Letter from a Birmingham Jail in the future.
December 30, 2022
If there was any other reason to read this book (and there are many), just to read the "I Have A Dream" speech would be worth it all.
July 20, 2019
MLK is one of the names that got thrown around a lot when I was in school, both in and out of context. For this, I think it was easy for me to caricaturize him as that guy who had a dream, went to jail a few times for it, and eventually was killed. Part of my motivation (inspired by Toni Morrison, actually) for reading this book was to get a little closer to MLK the man, to see what his thoughts were in detail, his motivations.
One thing I didn't realize was how methodical King was. In "Pilgrimage to Nonviolence" he mentions how in seminary he became serious about looking for "a method to eliminate social evil". That's a hell of a quest, but he went for it and as we know he was inspired by Gandhi's work in India.
Faith was at the center of King's career as a leader, and maybe this is why nonviolence made so much sense to him. He started off as a minister, the son and grandson of preachers. In his writings you can see the influence of the Bible on his definitions of love and morality, greatness and power.
Another thing about King is that he was just so young. He got nominated (appointed? called?) to lead the bus boycott at 26! At the time he was already leading a small congregation. And from there he kept going and writing with such tenacity. All the way up until his 42nd birthday when he was killed. At forty two, man.
Beyond just MLK himself, the editor does a really good job of giving the speeches context. A highlight of the book as a whole, the speeches and the context given, is that it really paints a picture of the time period. "Letter From a Birmingham Jail (1963)" was so fascinating to read because King addresses a lot of criticisms which gives a view of what a variety of people were thinking of the movement. I recommend this speech if not the whole book.
Most of us know that quote "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." I didn't realize it was born out of trying to persuade the country that the racial problem in America was national and not sectional. In other words, that it wasn't just a black people problem, but everybody's problem. I can't believe that King even had address that fact in the 60s! Were we really that disconnected from history then?
I also found a few of the speeches to be psychologically astute. King refers often to the inner lives of black people--their levels of dignity and esteem--and tells the story of the ebbs and flow.
The book disrupted my sense of history. What kind of world calls for an MLK? What kind of people? I just wonder what he'd say today. I'm encouraged by my own tendency to see history as this static thing in the past to believe we've reached "the promised land" by now. That's how it all feels in my experience. But what if whatever they were fighting against back then is still alive and wandering around?
Overall, I recommend the book, especially if your looking to flesh out/enliven/enrich your sense of history.
One thing I didn't realize was how methodical King was. In "Pilgrimage to Nonviolence" he mentions how in seminary he became serious about looking for "a method to eliminate social evil". That's a hell of a quest, but he went for it and as we know he was inspired by Gandhi's work in India.
Faith was at the center of King's career as a leader, and maybe this is why nonviolence made so much sense to him. He started off as a minister, the son and grandson of preachers. In his writings you can see the influence of the Bible on his definitions of love and morality, greatness and power.
Another thing about King is that he was just so young. He got nominated (appointed? called?) to lead the bus boycott at 26! At the time he was already leading a small congregation. And from there he kept going and writing with such tenacity. All the way up until his 42nd birthday when he was killed. At forty two, man.
Beyond just MLK himself, the editor does a really good job of giving the speeches context. A highlight of the book as a whole, the speeches and the context given, is that it really paints a picture of the time period. "Letter From a Birmingham Jail (1963)" was so fascinating to read because King addresses a lot of criticisms which gives a view of what a variety of people were thinking of the movement. I recommend this speech if not the whole book.
Most of us know that quote "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." I didn't realize it was born out of trying to persuade the country that the racial problem in America was national and not sectional. In other words, that it wasn't just a black people problem, but everybody's problem. I can't believe that King even had address that fact in the 60s! Were we really that disconnected from history then?
I also found a few of the speeches to be psychologically astute. King refers often to the inner lives of black people--their levels of dignity and esteem--and tells the story of the ebbs and flow.
The book disrupted my sense of history. What kind of world calls for an MLK? What kind of people? I just wonder what he'd say today. I'm encouraged by my own tendency to see history as this static thing in the past to believe we've reached "the promised land" by now. That's how it all feels in my experience. But what if whatever they were fighting against back then is still alive and wandering around?
Overall, I recommend the book, especially if your looking to flesh out/enliven/enrich your sense of history.
October 4, 2019
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message of nonviolence is as vital today as it was during the Civil Rights Movement. In reading this collection of his writings and speeches, I gained inspiration to remain part of the fight for freedom and justice for all Americans.
Below is a brief summary of Dr. King’s beliefs and teachings that changed the world. What he advocated and achieved as a leader is still essential to guiding us in confronting today’s evils:
• Retaliating with hate and bitterness against injustice will only duplicate the crimes of the past. Violence only spawns and complicates problems regarding race. Choosing violence in the quest for justice leaves future generations as the recipients of bitterness and as the heirs to chaos.
• Boycotting is not the end goal, but rather the objective must be to instill shame and guilt in the oppressors’ minds of their false sense of superiority. The mission of nonviolent resistance is reconciliation, redemption, and the establishment of an inclusive community.
• Agape love seeks to understand and redeem the goodwill of all men. Agape is a love that seeks nothing in return. It recognizes the love of God in men and seeks to love the enemy while condemning their deeds.
• The universe sides with justice and God is in the great struggle for freedom with man. God is on the side of justice and truth.
• For democracy to live, segregation must die. Segregation is evil and unchristian. It denies what Christ stood for.
• The struggle and mission for justice must be aligned with legalism and legislation. Education is essential to changing the way oppressors feel, for the law cannot change a man’s mind even as it requires him to abide by a code of civility and humanity.
• The aim of the struggle for justice is not to humiliate Whites, but to win their friendship. The aftermath of violence is bitterness. The mission of nonviolence is reconciliation.
• Nonviolent resistors attack the evil system of segregation and not the individuals trapped in the system. The struggle is not White against Black, but justice needing to eradicate injustice. It is light washing out darkness. A victory for justice is a victory for democracy. Democracy for all Americans depends on the integration of Black Americans into an inclusive community.
• Dr. King visited India and saw how Gandhi’s nonviolent revolution initiated a cause of moral power behind the law. Gandhi’s nonviolent revolution left an aftermath free of widespread bitterness.
• Dr. King promoted these forms of nonviolent resistance: mass boycotts, sit-down protests, union strikes, refusals to pay fines and bails, mass marches and meetings, and prayer pilgrimages.
• Dr. King saw how more power existed in organized masses than in the guns of the desperate few. He saw how it is easier for the oppressors to defeat violent outbursts. He also understood how mass, nonviolent action never allowed the oppressors to rest.
• Dr. King recognized how the twin evil of racial injustice is economic injustice.
• Nonviolence is the weapon that exposes the oppressors’ moral delinquency, it weakens their morale, and ultimately it bears weight on their conscience.
• Direct action creates a crisis that opens the door to dialogue and negotiation.
Below is a brief summary of Dr. King’s beliefs and teachings that changed the world. What he advocated and achieved as a leader is still essential to guiding us in confronting today’s evils:
• Retaliating with hate and bitterness against injustice will only duplicate the crimes of the past. Violence only spawns and complicates problems regarding race. Choosing violence in the quest for justice leaves future generations as the recipients of bitterness and as the heirs to chaos.
• Boycotting is not the end goal, but rather the objective must be to instill shame and guilt in the oppressors’ minds of their false sense of superiority. The mission of nonviolent resistance is reconciliation, redemption, and the establishment of an inclusive community.
• Agape love seeks to understand and redeem the goodwill of all men. Agape is a love that seeks nothing in return. It recognizes the love of God in men and seeks to love the enemy while condemning their deeds.
• The universe sides with justice and God is in the great struggle for freedom with man. God is on the side of justice and truth.
• For democracy to live, segregation must die. Segregation is evil and unchristian. It denies what Christ stood for.
• The struggle and mission for justice must be aligned with legalism and legislation. Education is essential to changing the way oppressors feel, for the law cannot change a man’s mind even as it requires him to abide by a code of civility and humanity.
• The aim of the struggle for justice is not to humiliate Whites, but to win their friendship. The aftermath of violence is bitterness. The mission of nonviolence is reconciliation.
• Nonviolent resistors attack the evil system of segregation and not the individuals trapped in the system. The struggle is not White against Black, but justice needing to eradicate injustice. It is light washing out darkness. A victory for justice is a victory for democracy. Democracy for all Americans depends on the integration of Black Americans into an inclusive community.
• Dr. King visited India and saw how Gandhi’s nonviolent revolution initiated a cause of moral power behind the law. Gandhi’s nonviolent revolution left an aftermath free of widespread bitterness.
• Dr. King promoted these forms of nonviolent resistance: mass boycotts, sit-down protests, union strikes, refusals to pay fines and bails, mass marches and meetings, and prayer pilgrimages.
• Dr. King saw how more power existed in organized masses than in the guns of the desperate few. He saw how it is easier for the oppressors to defeat violent outbursts. He also understood how mass, nonviolent action never allowed the oppressors to rest.
• Dr. King recognized how the twin evil of racial injustice is economic injustice.
• Nonviolence is the weapon that exposes the oppressors’ moral delinquency, it weakens their morale, and ultimately it bears weight on their conscience.
• Direct action creates a crisis that opens the door to dialogue and negotiation.
March 2, 2021
Reading this collection of speeches and writings, I've finally come to see why Martin Luther King Jr. has been deemed one of the most profound and influential civil rights, Evangelical and sociopolitical leaders of our time.
I can't even begin to point out each of the elements that I most appreciated about King's writings (You could write dozens of essays on the Letter from a Birmingham Jail alone). What I will say is that King found a way to contextualize the Gospel message of Jesus of Nazareth within the era of the 1950s-1960s segregated south. And he was unrelenting and all-encompassing.
He not only challenged the white supremacist political (and corporate) power structure of the south, but he challenged the entire nation's foreign policy and involvement in Vietnam. He challenged the Christian moderate. He rallied Blacks and Whites together in a fight for unification and strategic empowerment. He advocated equal access to first class education. He spoke up for labor unions and the unemployed. He encouraged Blacks to strive for political and economic influence. He spoke truth to power, and all of it was couched in the language of love. Agape love.
My favorite piece of this book is "The Drum Major Instinct." It's King's second to last speech, and it really feels like his attempt to pull all of his spiritual, sociopolitical and socioeconomic ideas together into a single sermon.
If you haven't read/heard any of these speeches, I would highly recommend you take the deep dive. As an American citizen, the content of these writings is essential in understanding what our nation ought to be.
I can't even begin to point out each of the elements that I most appreciated about King's writings (You could write dozens of essays on the Letter from a Birmingham Jail alone). What I will say is that King found a way to contextualize the Gospel message of Jesus of Nazareth within the era of the 1950s-1960s segregated south. And he was unrelenting and all-encompassing.
He not only challenged the white supremacist political (and corporate) power structure of the south, but he challenged the entire nation's foreign policy and involvement in Vietnam. He challenged the Christian moderate. He rallied Blacks and Whites together in a fight for unification and strategic empowerment. He advocated equal access to first class education. He spoke up for labor unions and the unemployed. He encouraged Blacks to strive for political and economic influence. He spoke truth to power, and all of it was couched in the language of love. Agape love.
My favorite piece of this book is "The Drum Major Instinct." It's King's second to last speech, and it really feels like his attempt to pull all of his spiritual, sociopolitical and socioeconomic ideas together into a single sermon.
If you haven't read/heard any of these speeches, I would highly recommend you take the deep dive. As an American citizen, the content of these writings is essential in understanding what our nation ought to be.
December 18, 2017
Goodness, I've always held Martin Luther King Jr as a hero but after reading this book that belief is solidified. I didn't realize how many standards I shared with this great man until reading his words- in war, equality, nonviolence, peace, love, and unity. He was not just a man of great words but one who sealed them with his blood.
January 15, 2018
Such powerful words, especially as men and women continue to face injustice and police brutality today.
August 25, 2024
What can I say? I took several months to read this book so that I could read it a couple of pages of time and really take it in. It is one of the most profound books I have ever read by one of the most profound thinkers I have ever encountered. I wish everyone would read it, maybe three or four times.
January 15, 2018
Since a young age I've been fascinated with history. I was in "gifted" programs in elementary and middle school. I have a BA in political science with a minor in history. I have an MA in education. I taught English and even used Dr. King's "I have a Dream" speech.
You hear a lot about the downfall of American education. Of course, the criticisms are often levied at math and science. You hear people fret about international testing scores and our rank. Sadly, the one thing you never hear about is the atrocious quality of our history education in this country. I contend that the core of many of our cultural problems lie in the fact that we don't know our history.
How can I say something so definitively?
Go back and reread paragraph 1 again. And after you read it a second time realize this. I'm 33 years of age. I read pretty much every day. Those were my educational experiences. By all culturally accepted definitions, I'm well "educated." And here's the pathetic reality, I was never ONCE asked to read anything other than the "I Have a Dream" speech.
How many other Americans who are presumably "educated" have no clue what this man said. How many supposed experts today blather on about our past, but sadly, really are no more "educated" than I was/am.
I loved this book. If half of American society was as well read as Dr. King America would be a much different place today. If half of the supposed Christians that live in our society were as well read today, our foreign policy would be a little better, and our society would behave differently. I was blown away by King's brilliance and ability to communicate ideas. I'm fascinated how he was able to stand firm on non-violence with such evil staring him in the face on a daily basis.
My favorite piece in the entire book was actually "A Time to Break Silence." Yeah, that high quality public history education I received basically omitted the fact that Dr. King ever spoke so passionately against the Vietnam war. I'd encourage many of my war-loving conservative, Republican, Christian friends to read this one. Much of America's security problems today lie at the feet of your neo-conservative, war-mongering political figures.
Dr. King wasn't a God. He wasn't a perfect man. I could tell through his writings that despite his brilliance, he never studied economics. He was a self-described democratic socialist. There's no more sense to democratic socialism than there is to endless wars in the Middle East. But, he was a man of courage, and he is someone whose writings should be required of all Americans to receive their high school diploma. I await the outrage from our citizens (sadly, I'm realistic, I know it'll be a long wait).
You hear a lot about the downfall of American education. Of course, the criticisms are often levied at math and science. You hear people fret about international testing scores and our rank. Sadly, the one thing you never hear about is the atrocious quality of our history education in this country. I contend that the core of many of our cultural problems lie in the fact that we don't know our history.
How can I say something so definitively?
Go back and reread paragraph 1 again. And after you read it a second time realize this. I'm 33 years of age. I read pretty much every day. Those were my educational experiences. By all culturally accepted definitions, I'm well "educated." And here's the pathetic reality, I was never ONCE asked to read anything other than the "I Have a Dream" speech.
How many other Americans who are presumably "educated" have no clue what this man said. How many supposed experts today blather on about our past, but sadly, really are no more "educated" than I was/am.
I loved this book. If half of American society was as well read as Dr. King America would be a much different place today. If half of the supposed Christians that live in our society were as well read today, our foreign policy would be a little better, and our society would behave differently. I was blown away by King's brilliance and ability to communicate ideas. I'm fascinated how he was able to stand firm on non-violence with such evil staring him in the face on a daily basis.
My favorite piece in the entire book was actually "A Time to Break Silence." Yeah, that high quality public history education I received basically omitted the fact that Dr. King ever spoke so passionately against the Vietnam war. I'd encourage many of my war-loving conservative, Republican, Christian friends to read this one. Much of America's security problems today lie at the feet of your neo-conservative, war-mongering political figures.
Dr. King wasn't a God. He wasn't a perfect man. I could tell through his writings that despite his brilliance, he never studied economics. He was a self-described democratic socialist. There's no more sense to democratic socialism than there is to endless wars in the Middle East. But, he was a man of courage, and he is someone whose writings should be required of all Americans to receive their high school diploma. I await the outrage from our citizens (sadly, I'm realistic, I know it'll be a long wait).
August 7, 2023
As I read this book, I came to appreciate the work of Martin Luther King Jr.. While he was alive, I lived too far away from the South to know what he was about. Now I have met a few people of his race, which made this book much more meaningful.
The part that impressed me the most was his talk criticizing the involvement of the United States in fighting in Vietnam. He made it very clear how wrong what we were doing there was. The following two quotations are from that chapter.
"We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing oriented Society to a person oriented Society." (Page 148)
"We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of History are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate. History is cluttered with the wreckage of Nations and individuals that pursued this self-defeating Paths of hate. As Arnold Toynbee says: "love is the ultimate force that makes for the saving choice [of] life and good against the damning choice of death and Evil." (page 150)
The part that impressed me the most was his talk criticizing the involvement of the United States in fighting in Vietnam. He made it very clear how wrong what we were doing there was. The following two quotations are from that chapter.
"We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing oriented Society to a person oriented Society." (Page 148)
"We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of History are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate. History is cluttered with the wreckage of Nations and individuals that pursued this self-defeating Paths of hate. As Arnold Toynbee says: "love is the ultimate force that makes for the saving choice [of] life and good against the damning choice of death and Evil." (page 150)
May 28, 2021
In light of the one year anniversary of George Floyd's murder, sparking nationwide protests that followed, and in memory of the Hundreds of Thousands of (typically white) people misquoting MLK's dedication to nonviolence to condemn the protests as a whole, I decided to read this book, and I think it's important that everyone read at least a few of these speeches. Even just one or two will recontextualize what nonviolence means and will help illuminate how it is not what anti-BLM people think it is. At the same time, it is important to hear from his mouth /why/ he preached non-violence, even if many aspects of his vision of it are not particularly favorable today. Overall, something everyone needs to look into before erroneously attributing one's own beliefs to his teachings.
November 22, 2012
"at times, life is hard, as hard as crucible steel. it has its bleak and painful moments. like the ever-flowing waters of a river, life has its moments of droughts and its moments of flood. like the ever changing cycle of the seasons, life has the soothing warmth of the summers and the piercing chill of its winters. but through it all, god walks with us."
...such resonating words that shake us time after time; provides relevance even beyond the civil rights context; philosophy largely concerned with life.
...such resonating words that shake us time after time; provides relevance even beyond the civil rights context; philosophy largely concerned with life.
January 28, 2023
I read half this book, then set it down and didn't pick it up till a couple of weeks ago. I decided it was time to finish. I am always amazed at how much of MLK's speeches are still relevant today. Someone asked recently in a group I was in, why when we try to accomplish something, a march, a planned boycott, whatever seems to fall through or accomplishes little. Several of the speeches hit on this subject. We've come a ways, but we still have a long way to go! Want to know more, read this one.
November 20, 2021
Five stars means everyone should read this book.
I am amazed at how Martin Luther King Junior could articulate deep truths. I knew that I admired him as a person. However, this is my first dive into the words he actually said. Wow!
I am amazed at how Martin Luther King Junior could articulate deep truths. I knew that I admired him as a person. However, this is my first dive into the words he actually said. Wow!
August 3, 2016
A beacon of morality, a scalpel of social analysis, and a subtly deft use of words. One of the most inspiring and insightful books Ive ever read.
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July 30, 2021
MLK was an incredibly gifted communicator. Not only did he have an important message, he knew how to express it.
September 7, 2021
Excellent book. My son read this as a college freshman at Georgia Tech in 2011. Glad he left it at home so I could enjoy the book.
February 8, 2022
Gives a good introduction to Dr. King’s thinking on civil rights and war through his writings, speeches and sermons.
June 5, 2022
Excellent book.
January 3, 2023
Lettura d'obbligo
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