In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement. The ideals for this organization he took from Christianity; its operational techniques from Gandhi. In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles. In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience. and inspiring his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, a manifesto of the Negro revolution; he planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of Negroes as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, “l Have a Dream”, he conferred with President John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure. source.
I think MLK was a great man, with great vision. We are all better today because of his work. However, MLK’s message and efforts are lost with men like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Malcom X, Farrakhan.
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Related Reading:
Heroes in Black SkinsBooker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856 – November 14, 1915) was an American educator, orator, author and leader of the African-American community. He was freed from slavery at the age of nine, and after working at several menial jobs in West Virginia, he earned his way through an education at Hampton Institute and Wayland Seminary. Upon recommendation of Hampton founder Sam Armstrong, as a young man, he was appointed as the first leader of the new Tuskegee Institute, then a teachers' college for blacks. Washington filled this role from the opening of the school in 1881 until his death in 1915. - Wikipedia
Mr. President....Black America Is On Line 2: The Rising Tide of Concerns from Black People and their Future In AmericaThere is a growing concern among African Americans on the validity of President Obama desire to help them. The political climate has painted a grey sky over President Barack Obama presidency, because the fight over the deficit and sacrificing social programs has made him look unpresidential. Being President of the United States is a difficult job, and it appears the President is catering to the republicans however, nothing can be further from the truth.Black Americans proudly stands behind their President, and the Presidents biggest critics Tavis Smiley, Rush Limbaugh and conservative news channels, like FOX NEWS, should redirect their concerns to the betterment of uniting America. Their critique of the President is unfair, and I do not understand Tavis Smiley rift, because states across America are being hit the hardest with economic woes, and blaming the President at this time is unwise. The President is always in a dogfight with the Republicans and the fundamentally insane TEA PARTY advocates, they do not want him to have a second term as President, and America would be doomed if they win.
Mr. President, Black America is calling, and they are reporting for duty to help you win the Presidency again!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The name Raymond Sturgis is not new to the literary world. His long list of successful books are gladly received by people all over the world. His books are: THE WORLD CHANGERS, WHEN A BLACK WOMAN PRAYS, BARACK OBAMA:HIS LOVE and DREAM FOR AMERICA, CHANGING THE BLACK WOMAN IN THE MIRROR, WHEN GOD MADE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. SMILE....and many many more.
African-American Art (Oxford History of Art)From its origins in early 18th century slave communities to the end of the 20th century, African-American art has made a vital contribution to the art of the United States. This book provides a major reassessment of the subject, setting the art in the context of the African-American experience. 70 color illustrations. 5 linecuts.
African-American Odyssey, The, Combined Volume (5th Edition)The African-American Odyssey is a compelling story of agency, survival, struggle and triumph over adversity. The authors highlight what it has meant to be black in America and how African-American history is inseparably woven into the greater context of American history. The text provides accounts of the lives of ordinary men and women alongside those of key African-Americans and the impact they have had on the struggle for equality to illuminate the central place of African-Americans in U.S. history more than any other text.









