Kirtley mather, a harvard geologist, wrote a book entitled. The first speech i looked at was love, law, and civil disobedience. Martin luther king on the limits of civil disobedience. Kendi makes clear in his book stamped from the beginning. Students are often assigned to write essays about martin luther king jr. I find that the book of genesis describes love, law, and disobedience in an elemental way. Martin luther king s civil disobedience and the american covenant tradition. Love, law and civil disobedience transcribes king s speech he gave at the annual meeting of the fellowship of concerned on november 16 th 1961. A summary of a testament of hope the essentials writings of.
Like gandhi, martin luther king, jr read thoreaus essay on civil disobedience in college, and resonated with its central idea that people should not obey unjust laws. For there is the more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest. If patriotism were defined, not as blind obedience to government, not as submissive worship to flags and anthems, but rather as love of ones country, ones fellow citizens all over the world, as loyalty to the principles of justice and democracy, then patriotism would require us to disobey our. However, his life had become a fixed part of american mythology for years prior to this. Martin luther king and howard zinn two of boston universitys finest are emblematic of when and how to fight immoral laws. The following quote from the speech does it for me speech begins at 32. Why tweeting mlks i have a dream speech now constitutes civil disobedience.
We can learn something from their example, and the many thousands of fellow dissidents and strugglers against what i think is fairly clearly injustice. Writings and speeches that changed the world, special 75th anniversary edition martin luther king, jr. Henry david thoreau, civil disobedience an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law martin luther king. Love, law, and civil disobedience summary and analysis. In one sense the civil rights movement in the united states is a special american. Kings i have a dream speech, nobel peace prize lecture and letter from a. Law, love, and civil disobedience in time of immigration. Martin luther king was a key figure and leader in the american civil rights movement until his untimely death in 1968. King began his response by noting that he seldom replied to critical letters due to the huge volume that he received. A summary of a testament of hope the essentials writings. Also, he organized nonviolent resistance in the 1950s and 1960s to fight for the legal equality of african americans. His main goal throughout his speech was to demonstrate.
Indeed, to many african americans whose rights he helped expand, to many other minorities whose lives his victories touched. Particularly in america, where we have thoreau, who refused to pay a poll tax, because the money supported the mexican war and the fugitive slave law. The essential writings and speeches of martin luther king, jr. This is a fascinating television interview from meet the press conducted with dr. King often called for personal responsibility in fostering world.
Thoreau wrote about it in 1849, and it was employed in gandhis struggle for indian independence. The son of a baptist preacher, king himself became a minister, and originally believed that the teachings of jesus could only be put into practice between individuals. Abridged transcript of a speech given to the fellowship of the concerned, november 16, 1961, on the. In 1963, he led a coalition of numerous civil rights groups in a. January 15, 1929 april 4, 1968 was the most famous leader of the american civil rights movement, a political activist, and a baptist minister. Read peter myers essay, the limits and dangers of civil disobedience. The essential writings and speeches of martin luther king, jr study guide. The first speech i looked at was love, law, and civil. As a theologian, martin luther king reflected often on his understanding of nonviolence. Choose from 500 different sets of martin luther king jr. This book, which is edited by james melvin washington is made up of speeches and letters written by martin luther king jr.
To be fair, martin luther king was not the first person to teach civil disobedience. Like gandhi, king used civil disobedience as a means of effectuating government change. However, who is really willing to accept the consequences for going against an unjust law. King talks about how african americans are starting to realize that the way they are being treated is unjust and they. Protesting, civil disobedience, and criminal law above. Comparing civil disobedience by henry david thoreau and martin luther king jr.
He described his own pilgrimage to nonviolence in his first book, stride toward freedom, and in subsequent books and articles. This was addressed to an interracial group of professional people who may have been discouraged because of a lack of progress and the violence that faced some who would carry their civil rights. Love, law, and disobedience fisher digital publications st. This battle involved violence, some came from the negro, much from the privileged white population. Martin luther king discussed the fact that those who oppose freedom rarely gives up privileges without intense opposition. But then, as philosophers, we must ask, what exactly is civil disobedience. Abridged transcript of a speech given to the fellowship of the concerned, november 16, 1961, on the subject of the student movement a nonviolent movement to try to bring about racial equality in the south. Martin luther kings civil disobedience and the american. The phenomenon of dissent eventually upending national consensus is one of the lessons remembered as lewis perrys engrossing book follows the tradition of speaking truth to power from early 18thcentury presbyterian divines jailed for defending cherokees to martin luther king s magisterial justification of civil disobedience in birmingham jail.
The letter from these eight clergymen was a special case. Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. This book brings together essays, speeches, sermons, interviews, and excerpts from king s books. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. Yours for the cause of peace and brotherhood, martin luther king, jr. King asked and answered three questions to make clear what love in the form of. Primarily, to understand why socrates actions do not align with the practice of civil disobedience as envisioned by martin luther king jr. Why tweeting mlks i have a dream speech now constitutes.
He won a nobel peace prize in 1964 and is often remembered for his i have a dream speech, delivered in washington in 1963. In it, journalists ask him about the acceptability of breaking established laws such as what was happening in the civil rights movement in the 1960s. More than a test of law was at stake in kings civil protests, however. Martin luther king, jr civil disobedience essay example. By some definitions specify, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be called civil.
Part of the moral force of civil disobedience comes from breaking the law. Government political science civil disobedience religious aspects civil rights activists political activity civil rights workers covenants political aspects. Martin luther king, an american of african origin, was an ardent advocate of this tactic and led the civil rights movement in using marches and peaceful protests. His involvement in the movement began during the bus. His main goal throughout his speech was to demonstrate how the student movement was chasing justice in a nonviolent manner. Although his protests and speeches caused great potential danger to him and his family and eventually led to his assassination, martin luther king jr.
Posted by kielfharell under activism, citizenship, civil disobedience, immigration, law, legal theory, martin luther king, mlk, nonviolence, open borders 5 comments i spent a few hours last night writing a response for the first reading assignment love, law and civil disobedience, but i was getting kind of frustrated and i was confusing. Hence, civil disobedience is sometimes equated with peaceful protests or. This speech was giving at the annual meeting of fellowship of the concerned. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This was addressed to an interracial group of professional people who may have been discouraged because of a lack of progress and the violence that faced some who would carry their. As the leader of the nonviolent civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, martin luther king jr. Comparing civil disobedience by henry david thoreau and.
Love, law, and civil disobedience, by martin luther king, jr. Unjust laws closed captioned an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience. Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders or commands of a government. King s speech is about the philosophy behind the student movement. Kings words by such renowned defenders of civil rights as rosa parks. True pacifism, or nonviolent resistance, king wrote, is a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love king, stride, 80. This study guide consists of approximately 59 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of a testament of hope.
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