Philosophy
We all know Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great orator. And of course, when you throw in a bunch of amens and hallelujahs, and when you talk about the promised land to a highly religious nation, it's a lot easier to incite their passion and support.
Call me a cynic if you want, but while I endorse the message of civil rights, I've always had some problem with his speeches. What I've always been impressed with, however, was the letter he wrote when he was imprisoned in Birmingham to a group of white clergymen who disagreed with his methods. Unable to give a speech to a sympathetic audience from his cell, he had to choose his words very carefully, and the result is a masterful defense of nonviolent protest and an articulation of the elements that can justify civil disobedience and its manner of execution.
The video below is a verbatim dramatization of that entire letter, performed by Corey Jones playing the role of Martin Luther King, Jr. (starts at about the 4 minute mark).
That's what they get for writing a letter to a man who's got lots of education and plenty of time to respond while sitting in jail :)
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Philosophy
Martin Luther King, Jr. - Letter from Birmingham Jail
Call me a cynic if you want, but while I endorse the message of civil rights, I've always had some problem with his speeches. What I've always been impressed with, however, was the letter he wrote when he was imprisoned in Birmingham to a group of white clergymen who disagreed with his methods. Unable to give a speech to a sympathetic audience from his cell, he had to choose his words very carefully, and the result is a masterful defense of nonviolent protest and an articulation of the elements that can justify civil disobedience and its manner of execution.
The video below is a verbatim dramatization of that entire letter, performed by Corey Jones playing the role of Martin Luther King, Jr. (starts at about the 4 minute mark).
That's what they get for writing a letter to a man who's got lots of education and plenty of time to respond while sitting in jail :)
.
- New Holidays
The observation of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday is our most recent calendar addition. It was added in 1983, although it was fought for a decade to follow in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and, of course, Arizona. It leads...
- King, Washington, Lincoln, And The Iconization Of Heroes
In thinking about Dr. King, it is truly odd what we do to our national heroes. They begin as flesh and are transformed in the most unusual way. At first glance, there is nothing terribly strange there. All cultures have their mythological heroes and those...
- Malcolm X - The Ballot Or The Bullet
Fifty years ago today, as he was preparing to deliver a speech to the Organization of Afro-American Unity in New York City, Malcolm X, the famous Muslim minister and human rights activist who made a name for himself in the struggle against social, racial,...
- Martin Luther King, Jr. - I Have A Dream
Fifty years ago today, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech?partly scripted, partly improvised, fully awesome?that has reverberated through the years both as the litmus test by which we can measure the progress of racial equality, as well as the...
- Landmark Civil Rights Act Made Racism Slightly Less Overt
As we start to celebrate Black History Month, The Onion wants to make sure we remember key historical events that a nation proud of its rich and diverse cultural heritage should never forget. One such event is the Civil Rights Act, that landmark piece...