“Any religion that professes to be concerned with the souls of men and is not concerned with the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them and the social conditions that cripple them is a dry-as-dust religion.” said Dr. King in his book “Stride toward Freedom.” Dr. Martin Luther King was a man whose convictions as a christian took him to the mountain top. It was the deed of Mrs. Rosa Parks, refusing to give up her seat to a white person on that first day of December 1955, that propelled this young twenty -five-year old African Prince to the limelight of national leadership. The incident led him to head the Montgomery bus boycott, which would change the course of American history.
Dr. King’s life can b divided into two separate segments. The days of Selma, Alabama, where he led non-violent demonstrations for citizenship rights for African Americans in the south. In later years his views were more socioeconomic. Trying to eradicate poverty not only for his people but the entire American system. It was by chance that Dr. King was chosen to lead the Montgomery boycott. There were more qualified individuals who were very capable of leading this boycott. However because the hands of the Almighty was involved the right person was chosen. Dr. Martin Luther King. He decided to choose for he and his followers a weapon that was over 2000 yrs. Nonviolent conciliatory behavior. This weapon won them the Montgomery boycott battle. Not only did they win but it exposes America to the world as a racist and brutal country. The atrocities that America was doing to its citizens , with the dogs, lynching, bombing and the water hoses that they were using on their own people was too much for decent people could tolerate. These nonviolent demonstration exposes the notorious KKK, the courts and especially the police what they stand for was too much for America to bare. The solidarity between Dr. King and his followers were strong so they overcame . These acts by the American people and the world’s outcry causes the Federal government to step in and pass laws to help”protect” these demonstrators. The American creed of “One nation under God……with liberty and justice for all” was being made a mockery by her own citizens.
Dr. king brought changes to America. The enactment of the Civil Rights Act of1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a few of the government changes that took place. In the south, it was clear, to reach public facilities and commercial establishments meant facing vicious dogs and baton twirling sheriffs was a way of life. In the north things were a little different, They were allowed to travel and eat and vote like white people; however the jobs, housing, police boards, real estate boards were as racist as the south. Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and other cities began to demonstrate for rights in these areas, Dr. King was in a new phase of his life, from regional racism in the south to national socioeconomic injustice in America. The Vietnam war also put Dr.King on the front line of America’s camera. Dr. King proclaimed that “We must combine the fervor of civil rights movement with the peace movement” He was now talking to a more diverse audience. Dr. king was more educated in the statistics of poverty in the white population, especially the Appalachia people who were worst off than the inner city blacks.His voice was raised for the politically weak, the economically deprived, and the angry young from around the country, especially those white liberals. With such powerful coalition behind him, Washington and the rest of America financial and business community began to listen.
The growing “Black Power” movements created a problem for the white followers of Dr. King who became afraid and started withdraw from King’s movement. In His book “Where Do We Go From Here” Dr. King said, “This would be a tragic time to forsake and withdraw the struggle” The faith of this warrior was been tested for even members of his organization was running around the country professing violence. The race riot of Detroit and Newark reminded America of what Dr. king said in 1964.
White America must be made aware to fully grasp the basic motives for African American to peacefully demonstrate, It should not be seen as a threat, but a fact of history, that if an oppressed people emotions that has been pent up for generations are not allowed to nonviolently released those emotions, They will violently released. So allow the Negros to march, Allow them to go on their freedom rides, let them go on their pilgrimage to city hall to peacefully air their grievance, White America should understand why they need to do this. For if frustration and despair are allowed to continue building up, Millions of Negroes will seek solace and security in black nationalist ideology.
Dr. king maintain that a legal, political and socioeconomic concession had to be made to avoid African American violence and permanent alienation from the white America.
Dr. King was on the front line of American history for twelve years, his peaceful confrontation was dependent on the controlling forces (labor, religion, business, and the government) His demands for desegregation, voting rights, integration of schools, open public facilities were legitimate rights that most liberals and some conservatives could support. Dr. king’s vision had become national. A peace movement, a socioeconomic agenda had changed the tide in America. Most supporters felt his first platform to eradicate racism would suffer because his platform was too broad and he would not be successful to do all that he wanted to do.
Whether Dr. king could have balanced the acts of eradicating racism and poverty in America, while fighting for social change is something we will never know. On April 4, 1968, an assassin bullet took his life.
This great African Prince gained the respect of the world. In 1964 Time Magazine voted him”Man Of the Year” in the same year he received the Nobel peace prize. Dr. Martin Luther King was a great leader and master of non-violent confrontation. A chosen warrior of Jah came to balance the cards for a future world.
” And when he had open the third seal. I heard the third beast say come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse and he that had upon, had a pair of balance in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beast say, a measure of wheat for a penny. and a measure of barley for a penny, and see thou hurt not the oil and wine”
Revelation 6 Verses 5-6
