Martin Luther King Jr. righting wrongs
Leaders are defined as those who have a position of power or authority. Those who lead inspire by articulating their purpose which makes people want to follow them.
As a gifted orator, the young Baptist minister Martin Luther King Jr., spoke up for racial equity. He’s most often quoted for one speech and one letter. As a social activist, he wrote five books and 450 speeches. The Civil Rights Movement was a long, hard-fought battle, but even in his death he left a legacy of hope.
Impactful leaders gain fame by living life with conviction. This often ignites a similar passion for social change in their followers. Lives infused with passion are characterized by courageous acts that leave a legacy.
King didn’t tell the protesters who marched on Washington, DC, in 1963, what needed to change in America. He told them that he had a dream that justice would prevail. He inspired listeners to take up his cause and make it their own.
The Civil Rights Movement gained momentum as this leader inspired action because he told them why change was necessary. Known for his charismatic call for peaceful protests, King articulated his dream eloquently motivating others to march.
He believed that citizens have a moral obligation to object if laws are unjust, but they also must be prepared to pay the price. King was threatened, beaten and jailed. Marches, boycotts and other acts of civil disobedience rallied support to fight racial injustice.
Injustice as a concept doesn’t evoke emotions for most until it becomes personal. Then passions arise. He spoke of his dream for his children. He expressed his disappointment of moderates who were paralyzed by their apathy.
When King spoke about whites using their power to keep blacks voiceless, it struck a chord in the racially divided South. He chose to disturb the peace with nonviolent protests and demanded desegregation. In 1960, Ruby Bridge’s brave act as the first black girl to attend an all-white school in Louisiana was one of many which caused tension to boil over in protests.
King felt that the oppressed must demand freedom because oppressors don’t voluntarily give it. Martin disobeyed the unjust laws of segregation. He felt that the segregator held a false sense of superiority while the segregated was left with a false sense of inferiority.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day remembers a man who bravely stood up to the wrongs that needed to be righted. Not knowing what that would look like, he surged into the unknown charting his course as he went. Acting out of passionate conviction, he moved toward his vision of racial equality.
In spite of prolonged bouts of provocation including name calling, being spit on, imprisoned, beat up and raped, blacks continued their fight. King said, “There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” He further warned, “Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.”
A black man was unjustly jailed in solitary confinement for 30 years. He counseled the inmates on death row, 54 of whom were marched past him to their death. Guards worked to help get him out.
Upon his eventual release, he was asked by an interviewer if he hated those who had unjustly incarcerated him. He responded that he’d forgiven them long ago. The reporter thought this odd and pressed the question again. He replied that remaining angry would cost him the next 30 years of his life. He refused to be imprisoned in his own hate.
King said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” King also said, “Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”
May the darkness you’ve experienced and witnessed be enough to inspire you to seek the light of the stars. Find a cause worthy of your passion and conviction. Then stand up and inspire others to help you make it right.