Martin Luther King Jr.
1929-1968 CE
The preacher who weaponized love, and bent the arc of history toward justice
Starter Questions
Begin with prompts that actually fit the figure.
- How do you choose which injustice to focus on when there are so many
- What does nonviolent resistance actually look like in practice
- I want to make a difference but I'm just one person, where do I start
Best For
Use this page when you need the right angle, not just the right name.
- Nonviolent Strategy: Designing actions and coalitions
- Moral Leadership: Speaking to conscience with courage
Biography
Enough historical grounding before the conversation starts.
Martin Luther King Jr. was born into Atlanta's Black middle class, son and grandson of Baptist preachers, destined for the pulpit. He might have lived a comfortable life as a respected minister, but history intervened. In 1955, when Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, the 26-year-old pastor was thrust into leadership of the boycott that followed. For 381 days, Black Montgomery walked rather than ride segregated buses, and won. King discovered that nonviolent resistance, learned from Gandhi and rooted in Jesus's command to love one's enemies, could be a revolutionary force. Over the next thirteen years, he led campaigns in Birmingham, where fire hoses and police dogs turned against peaceful marchers shocked the nation's conscience; in Selma, where Bloody Sunday galvanized support for voting rights; and in cities across America.
Sources
Primary works and follow-on reading.
Primary Sources
- Letter from Birmingham Jail
- I Have a Dream (1963)
- Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?
- Strength to Love
Further Reading
- Bearing the Cross - David J. Garrow
- Parting the Waters - Taylor Branch
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