Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary

Johnny Carter: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A Crusader for Non-Violence

A Paper Submitted to Dr. Ken Cleaver In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Course American Christianity CHHI 692-B01

By Johnny Carter March 8, 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction......................................................................................................................................2 The Birth of A Dreamer...................................................................................................................3 The Education of Dr. King...............................................................................................................5 Coretta the Woman by his side........................................................................................................7 Influences ........................................................................................................................................8 The Call to Lead.............................................................................................................................10 The Non-Violence Crusade............................................................................................................11 The Dream... ..14 Bibliography..16

Introduction

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. advocated for non-violence while pursuing his goal of justice for all. In the eyes of Dr. King everyone deserved to be treated equal under the law regardless of the color of their skin. However, that was not the case if you were of African American descent. During the early days of the 50s and 60s the laws of Jim Crow were in effect, these laws did a lot to keep blacks and whites segregated. As a matter of fact, this law put all black citizens at a disadvantage. Under the Jim Crow law a black person could not use the same facilities as a white person, go to the same school as a white person or share a meal in the same restaurant. The color of a persons skin determined whether that individual would be treated equal under the law. The unjust treatment that was being heaped upon the black community was devastating; rather than take the abuse the black community began fighting back. As with most violent uprising a lot of people lost their lives and many more were thrown into jail. Dr. King happened to be one of those individuals thrown into jail in Birmingham, Alabama. It was from the Birmingham jail that Dr. King composed a letter that addressed the injustice that was being done to the black people. In the letter Dr. King stressed that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere1 Dr. King was of the belief that the best way to address violence was by advocating for non-violence.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Historical Text Archive: Electronic History Resources, http://historicaltextarchive.com/sections.php?acti (Jr and Luther 2001) (Jr and Luther 2001)on=read&artid=40 (accessed March 5, 2013).

The Birth of A Dreamer The United States was nearing the start of the Great Depression about the time Martin Luther King Jr. was born. Segregation was steadily on the rise yet on one Tuesday afternoon of January 15,1929 Michael King Jr. the second of three children was born to Rev. and Mrs. King in Atlanta, Georgia. As the proud parents welcomed the birth of their first son one could only wonder if the parents knew that the baby they were holding in their arms was a future dreamer a mover and shaker someone who would soon become a major figure in the Civil Rights movement against injustice. Martin and his family lived in the same house with their grandparents and a few other relatives. As a kid Martin was known as a prankster he love playing jokes on his siblings as well as his friends. Martin loved playing baseball and basketball, during the summer you could find Martin down at the local YMCA or at the John Hope Summer Camp in Fort Valley, GA.2 As a kid Martin used to play with two little white boys that lived on his street, one day when he went to play with the two boys their parents would not allow them to come outside and play with Martin. After several days of trying to play with his friends Martin finally asked his mother what was wrong, it was then that Martin at a young learned about that hated word called segregation. That day would forever be etched in the mind of Martin. One would not have to look far to see where Martin got his preaching skills from, for he grew up in a family that was full of preachers, his father, grandfather and great grandfather were all Baptist preachers. Martins grandfather served as the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church a position Martin would
Farris, Christine King. 1986. "The Young Martin: From Childhood Through College" Ebony 41, no. 3: 56. MAS Ultra - School Edition, EBSCOhost (accessed March 7, 2013).
2

soon hold as an assistant pastor. However, Martin did not want to be a preacher he had plans to become a lawyer or a doctor. Martin may have tried to resist the call of preaching nevertheless; preaching was in his DNA and during his junior year at Morehouse Martin accepted the call to the ministry. After a family trip to Germany in 1934, Michaels name was officially changed to Martin Luther after the late Protestant Reformer.3

The Education of Dr. King Growing up Martin received his education through the Atlanta Public school system. Before Martin was even enrolled in school he had already learned how to read. His mother a schoolteacher and an accomplished musician spent evenings teaching young Martin and his siblings how to read. At the age of five Martin was enrolled in school, however his parents had to dis-enroll him because the starting age for kids back then was six years. Martins eldest sister Christine, attributes Martins thirst for knowledge to their Aunt Ida, who used to spend hours reading newspapers, books and encyclopedias to them as kids. The things Martin heard from the readings peaked his curiosity about the world.4 Once Martin was able to start school he attended David. T Howard Elementary from there he went to junior high and eventually made it to high school. Martin was not an ordinary student he was well advance for his age, he was so advanced that he was allowed to graduate from high school early by skipping the first and last year of high school. September 20,1944, Martin enrolled in Morehouse College at the young age of fifteen. While attending Morehouse Martin started reading the writings of Henry David Thoreau. Thoreaus essay on Civil
Dr.Martin Luther King Childhood, Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.net, http://www.drmartinlutherking.net/martin-luther-king-childhood.php (accessed March 7, 2013).
4 3

Ibid, "The Young Martin: From Childhood Through College

Disobedience captured Martins attention and it sparked the movement that would one day reshape the outlook of our nation.5 Martin went on to graduate from Morehouse with a Bachelors Degree in Sociology. After graduating from Morehouse Martin then enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in 1948. While attending Crozer Martin went on an intellectual pilgrimage seeking knowledge from the likes of Plato and Aristotle and many other great philosophers on ways to eradicate social injustice in the world. At Crozer Theological Seminary, Martin also attended his first lecture of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Martin graduated from Crozer Theological Seminary where he received his Bachelors of Divinity. From Crozer, Martin went on to attend Boston Universitys School of Theology. While attending Boston University Martin studied philosophy and theology under the tutelage of Edgar S. Brightman and L. Harold DeWolf. These two men were also instrumental in shaping Martins views on non-violence and social injustice. Martin also studied the works of Reinhold Niebuhr, he believe Niebuhr had overemphasized the corruption of human nature. Niebuhrs pessimism regarding human nature was not balanced by an optimism concerning divine nature.6 At Boston University Martin had

the privilege of talking to many supporters of non-violence. Martin went on to receive his Doctorate Degree in Systematic Theology from Boston Universitys School of Theology in 1955 after graduation he became known as Dr.King.

Dr.Martin Luther King Education, Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.net, http://www.drmartinlutherking.net/martin-luther-king-education.php (accessed March 7, 2013). Chapter 4; Boston University, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, http://mlkkpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/kingpapers/article/chapter_4_boston_university/ (accessed March 7, 2013).
6

Coretta The Woman By His Side In his autobiography Dr. King says, it was in Boston that he met and fell in love with an attractive singer named Coretta Scott, whose gentle manner and air of repose did not disguise her lively spirit.7 While studying at Boston University Dr.King says that he went out on a few dates but he did not meet any particular young lady that caught his eye. That was until a mutual friend gave him Corettas phone number. Coretta was from Ohio and being in Boston meant that she did not have many friends. When their mutual friend told Coretta about Dr.King, Coretta was not interested in meeting Dr. King because he was a minister and if he was like the other conservative, pious, old, and narrow- minded8 ministers she knew back in Ohio, then a date was out of the question. The mutual friend assured Coretta that Dr.King was the complete opposite so Coretta agreed to speak to Dr.King. Dr. King called Coretta they spoke Coretta agree to out and after a sixteen-month courtship on June 18, 1953 Dr.King and Coretta were married. Even though Dr. Kings father performed the ceremony, in the beginning his parents were not to thrill with their relationship. However, over time they saw that their son really loved Coretta. Coretta later said that when she first met Martin she had an eerie feeling that while her husband was being prepared for his work, she was being prepared to be his helpmate.9 The young couple soon moved to Montgomery, Alabama where Dr.King at the age of 25 had accepted his only pastoral position at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. As Dr.King grew in his position as pastor and people began

Clayborne Carson, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. (New York: Warner Books, 1998), 32.

Octavia Vivian, Coretta: the Story of Coretta Scott King, Commemorative ed. (Kindle Location 397). Kindle Edition
9

Ibid, (Kindle Location 402). Kindle Edition

to talk about his preaching he started getting more and more speaking engagements. Coretta knew that the more Dr. King was in demand the less she would see of him. Yet she never complained for she knew that this is what the Lord had called Dr.King to do. Whenever Dr.King was home he made sure he devoted his time and attention to Coretta. On November 17,1955, two years into their marriage Dr.King and Coretta have their first child Yolanda Denise. Over the next eight years Martin Luther III, Dexter and Bernice would be added to the King family. Coretta saw her role as a supportive one to her husband. She would often state I have taken my responsibility as a wife and mother seriously, as I take my role of wife to the leading symbol in the Civil Rights struggle.10 Dr. King said that he was indebted to his wife, without whose love, sacrifices, and loyalty neither life nor work would bring fulfillment.
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Influences Dr. Kings sister Christine says that their father played a major role in shaping Dr. Kings personality for the organized social work that Dr. King would soon embark upon. While growing up Dr. King paid close attention to the community and political work that his father would be involved with. The senior King instilled religious and moral values into the hearts of each of his children. Dr. King observed how his father was not afraid to speak out against injustice when he saw something that was not right. Dr. King also watched his father help organize community meetings, voter registration drives, wherever there was an injustice the senior King was sure to be involved. Dr. Kings father was just one of many men who would influence Dr. King. Frederick Douglas, Henry David Thoreau, Walter Rauschenbusch, George
10

Ibid, (Kindle Locations 463-464). Kindle Edition.

11

Ibid Clayborne Carson, 31

Davis and Mahatma Gandhi are just a few of the many men who influenced Dr. Kings thinking and philosophy. However, it is believed that the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi greatly influence Dr. King. It was Gandhis philosophy of non-violence and love that caught Dr. Kings attention. Gandhi had not fully embraced Christianity but it was his Christ like character that caught the attention of all. Gandhi a man of frail stature and humble beginnings dreamed of a society that would embrace everyone equally. Growing up in India Gandhi saw first hand how the British imperialist government was mistreating his people. Gandhi moved to England where he studied to become a lawyer. Gandhi passed the bar in 1891. However, upon trying his first case, Gandhi knew that his heart was not in law. Gandhi longed for equality for his people so while sitting alone shivering in a cold train station Gandhi made up his mind that he was going to fight for justice for all people. Upon returning back to India Gandhi established the philosophy of nonviolence and immediately mobilized the Indian community to work against the anti-democracy that was taking their right to vote away.12 Gandhi believed the best way to counter injustice was by the practice of non-violence; Gandhi rejected the belief of striking back because all it does is lead to more violence. Gandhi believed if society held to the belief of an eye for eye then the whole world end up blind. In his autobiography Gandhi stated "Whereas a good deed should call forth approbation and a wicked deed disapprobation, the doer of the deed, whether good or wicked, always deserves respect or pity as the case may be. 'Hate the sin and not the sinner. It was these beliefs that Dr.King would cling to doing his fight against injustice. In his writings Dr. King said, Gandhi was the first

Roberta Strauss Feuerlicht, Biography of M. K. Gandhi, The Progress Report, http://www.progress.org/gandhi/ (accessed March 8, 2013).

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person in history to re-invent the Christian ethic of love as a potent instrument for social and collective transformation. 13 The Call To Lead While pastoring Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Dr. King was soon thrust into the spotlight. On December 1,1955, a young black lady by the name of Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man. Anger and disgust quickly spread throughout the black community. There were some reports of Mrs. Parks being a plant by the NAACP but those reports prove to be untrue. The black community was tired of not having the freedom to sit wherever they wanted to sit. So the Womens Political Council, a group of black women who lobbied for black issues in the city and state, had been pushing for a boycott for months and now here was their chance.14 After a few meeting with Dr. King and other prominent black leaders a boycott was organized and Dr. King was selected as the leader of the boycott. Dr. King along with the other leaders came up with a plan of action and they relayed it to the black community. They stressed non-violence and that in order for this boycott to be successful the black community would have to band together and help each other out. That meant no one rode the buses; those with cars must be willing to carpool, if you had no car it meant you might have to walk. It was agreed that no matter how long it took no black person would ride the buses. December 5,1955, the Montgomery Boycott began. Dr. King said when the first bus drove pass his home that December morning and he and Coretta saw the bus empty, that is when they realized that they had just witnessed a miracle. That evening at church Dr. King asked his
13

Ibid, Clayborne Carson, 121 (The Montgomery Bus Boycott: They Changed The World 2013)

The Montgomery Bus Boycott: They Changed The World, Montgomery Bus Boycott, http://www.montgomeryboycott.com/overview/ (accessed March 8, 2013).

14

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parishioners to be patience for the boycott might last a while. Dr. King asked them to show some restraint instead of acting in a violent manner. If accosted by a white person for their participation in the boycott respond in love. Dr. King noted, that it was ultimately more honorable to walk the streets in indignity than to ride the buses in humiliation.15 The boycott lasted for three hundred and eighty one days and the Supreme Court declared the bus segregation laws unconstitutional. It was a great victory for the back community, however things did not get any better. Right after the boycott ended, someone tried to burn down the home of Dr. King and several members that help organize the boycott had their homes bombed, and one pastor had his church burned. The blacks started to arm themselves in order to fight back But Dr. King would not allow them to strike back. It was during this protest that Dr. King was able to really understand the methods of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. King stated, I had come to see early that the Christian doctrine of love operating through the Gandhian method of non-violence was one of the most potent weapons available to the Negro in his struggle for freedom.16 This protest was just the launching pad for bigger things for Dr. King. The Non-Violence Crusade During 1957-1968, Dr. King founded himself fully engulfed in the fight for social justice for all. Right after the Montgomery Boycott, Dr. King and some other Baptist leaders formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference where Dr. King was appointed the leader. The role of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was to assist local organizations working for equal rights for African Americans. Operating primarily in the South, it conducted

Edwin S. Gaustad and Leigh E. Schmidt, The Religious History of America, rev. ed. (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2004), 375 (Gaustad and Schmidt 2004)
16

15

Ibid, Clayborne Carson, 55

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leadership-training programs, citizen-education projects, and voter-registration drives.17 May 17,1957, Dr. King was asked to speak at the Prayer Pilgrimage in Washington D.C., the event was commemorating the third anniversary of the Supreme Courts historic decision outlawing segregation.18 At the prayer breakfast Dr. King spoke on race relations and the on going struggle for justice and racial equality in America. After the prayer breakfast Dr. King makes his way back to Montgomery where he continues his role as pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in 1958 he writes his first book Stride toward Freedom and while out on a book signing tour, a lady walks up to Dr. King and stabs him in the chest with a letter opener. Dr. King is rushed into surgery for three hours. From this attack Dr. King writes the now famous speech, If I had Sneezed, where he details how the doctors told him if he had sneezed it would have been instant death. The attack did not stop Dr. King once he was fully recovered he vowed to continued his work for social justice. However, Dr. King was fearful for the safety of his family so he moved them back to Atlanta. With every protest and every lunch counter sit- in Dr. King is being sought by everyone asking him to come to their state to help with their problem of social injustice. At the same time Dr. King draws the attention if then Presidential candidate Senator John F Kennedy. Both men have their own agenda Senator Kenned is seeking the black vote and Dr. King is looking for laws that will give blacks equal justice. The men promise to work together to get things done.
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, s.v (Southern Christian Leadership Conference n.d.) . Southern Christian Leadership Conference, http://www.credoreference.com/entry/ebconcise/southern_christian_leadership_conference (accessed March 8, 2013). 18 Address by Mlk at the Washington, DC Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom, The King Center, http://www.thekingcenter.org/archive/theme/60756 (accessed March 8, 2013).
17

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Senator Kennedy wins the election, and Dr. King and the black community still has to wait before they would get any laws signed. Nevertheless, Dr. King and his people continue fight on for justice. April 12,1963, Dr. King is asked to come to Birmingham, Alabama, to march against the Jim Crow laws of that state. Once in Alabaman Dr. King and other religious leaders are jailed for public protest violations. From his jail cell Dr. King writes the famous Letter from Birmingham, where he address the ministers from Atlanta who questions his decision to go to Birmingham. Dr. King replied, because that was where injustice could be found and injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.19 The situation in Birmingham takes a turn for the worse the police turn fire hoses and attack dogs on the protesters yet Dr. King urges everyone to restrain from violence. May of that same year Federal troops are ordered to Birmingham. By June 11 of the same year President Kennedy proposes a Civil Rights Bill of course there was strong opposition to the bill, nevertheless a bill was proposed and for Dr. King and his people it was a step forward in the right direction. Just as fast as things appeared to moving in the right direction shock and dismay soon sets in. November 22 of 1963 while visiting Dallas, Texas President Kennedy is assassinated. Dr. King and the black community are saddened for it seemed like everything they had been working for was taken away with the death of President Kennedy. Ever determined Dr. King presses on with his work along the way in 1964 he is named Time Magazines Man of the Year, he became the youngest person to won the Nobel Prize Price for his efforts in working to achieve peace. Dr. King goes to Washing to witness the signing of the Civil Rights Bill by President Johnson. It was a great and historic moment for blacks. Dr. King knew that there was still much work to be done so he continues to organize marches and, fight for justice he gets
19

Ibid, Edwin S. Gaustad and Leigh Schmidt, 376

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beaten kicked thrown in jail several more times never raising a hand to fight back. In 1965, Dr. King and a group of black leaders arrive in Washington and witness the signing of the Voting Rights Acts. Even with the signing of the Civil Rights Bill and the Voting Rights Bill, blacks were still being treated as second-class citizens. March18, 1968, Dr. King is asked to come to Memphis, Tennessee in support of the black striking sanitation workers, Dr. King was physically tired yet, being someone who would always respond to the call of help he prepared for his trip to Tennessee. That night Dr. King delivered his famous Ive Been to the Mountain Top Speech. W.J. Michael Cody one of the attendees in the church gives a very vivid account of that night. Michael states, that the church was packed with sanitation workers and their families. It was standing room only people listen intently to what Dr. King was saying. It was like an eerie premonition that Dr. King felt about the nearness of his death.20 The next day that premonition came true, Dr. King was assassinated while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. Many people believed that Dr. King knew his time was up and many believed that his speech Ive Been to the Mountain was his way of preparing the people on that day when he would be called home to glory. The Dream In his autobiography Dr. King said that summer of 1963 on the march of Washington a great shout for freedom reverberated across the land. It was a shout from the hearts of a people who had been patient, too long. 21 It was a day where all America was waiting and

W.J.Michael Cody King at the Mountain Top: The Representation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Memphis, April 3-4-1968, The University of Memphis Law Review 41, no. 4 (2011): 701-9, http://search.proquest.com/docview/880106804?accountid=12085. (accessed March 8, 2013).
21

20

Ibid, Clayborne Carson, 171

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watching to see what plan of action Dr. King had for them. In the eyes of the blacks Dr. King was the one man they could count on to get things done. Nevertheless, Dr. King had a dream for America. He believed America could be a great place when America was able to get past the injustice that it was inflicting on the black people. Dr. King had a dream and on August 28,1963, on the March on Washington Dr. King told the world about his dream. Dr. Kings dream included a world where he believed little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with like white boys and girls as sisters and brothers.22 Dr. King had a dream that the world would one day be a place where everyone would be treated equal a place where people would be judge by their character and not the color of their skin.23 It was a dream full of hope and a dream that is still lives on. Dr. King was a man sent by God for a time to wake up the conscious of America.

Ebony, I Have a Dream, 1986, 40, http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=48750069&site=ehostlive&scope=site (accessed March 8, 2013).

23

22

Ibid, Ebony, I Have a Dream, 1986, 40,

15

Bibliography Address by MLK at the Washington,DC Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom. http://www.thekingcenter.org/archive/theme/60756. Carson, Clayborne, ed. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. New York: Warner Books, 1998. Chapre 4: Boston University. http://mlkkpp01.standford.edu/index.php/kingpapers/article/chapter_4_boston_university/ (accessed 3 7, 2012). Christine, Farris King. "The Young Martin: From Childhood Through College." Ebony, 1986. Cody, W.J.Michael. "King at the Mountain Top: The Representation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,Memphis,April 3-4 ,1968." The University of Memphis Law Review, 2011: 701-9. Dr.Martin Luther King Childhood. http://www.drmartinlutherking.net/martin-luther-kingchildhood.php (accessed 3 6, 2013). Dr.Martin Luther King Education. http://www.drmartinlutherking.net/martin-luther-kingeducation.php (accessed 3 6, 2013). Feuerlicht, Roberta Strauss. Biography of M.K. Gandhi. http://www.progress.org/gandhi/ (accessed 3 8, 2013). Gaustad, Edwin, and Leigh Schmidt. The Religious History of America. Revised Edition. San Francisco, CA: HarperOne, 2004. Jr, King, and Dr Martin Luther. Letter F From a Birmingham Jail. 2001. http://historicaltextarchive.com/sections.php?action+read&artid=40 (accessed 3 5, 2012). Southern Christian Leadership Conference. http://www.credoreference.com/entry/ebconcise/southern_christian_leadership_conference (accessed 3 8, 2013). The Montgomery Bus Boycott: They Changed The World. 2013. http://ww.montgomeryboycott.com/ (accessed 3 8, 2013).

16

Vivian, Octavia. Coretta: The Story of Coretta Scott King. Minneapolis, MN: Augusburg Fortress Publishers, 2006.

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