Martin Luther King, Jr.

1
Please click on me for a link to an intro video
2
Martin Luther King, Jr.

• A Modern-day Author of American Civil Rights

3
Background

• Born Michael Luther King in 1929 in Atlanta, GA
• 1935- Name changed to Martin Luther
• Religious ties in background
• Grandfather and father both preachers

4
Education

• 1947- Ordained as a minister
• 1948- B.A. in Sociology- Morehouse College
• 1951- B. of Divinity- Crozer Theological Seminary
• 1955- Doctorate in Systematic Theology- Boston
  University

5
The U.S. in the 1960s

• John F. Kennedy was president
• Cuban missile crisis
• Distinction in America- North and South
• Inequality rampant
• Racial segregation and prejudice
• Segregated lunch tables, drinking fountains
• Rosa Parks protest over segregation on Montgomery
  bus system
• The rise of revolutionary groups
• Freedom Riders, Ku Klux Clan, Black Panthers

6
Internal U.S. Turmoil
Racial segregation
Frequent civilian beatings
CRISIS
Public dissatisfaction
Unnecessary use of violence
Corruption in officials
7
The U.S. was primed for the arrival of a leader
to facilitate change in during a time of crisis
8
Beginnings of a Leader

• Strong moral foundation
• Ease in public speaking
• As a reverend, he was accustomed to giving weekly
  sermons
• Conventional sources of influence
• Deeply rooted religious beliefs
• Radical sources of influence
• Gandhi and Henry David Thoreau
• Ideas of civil disobedience
• Internal Locust of Control
• Knew had power to change the system

9
Expert Power

• During this time, it was uncommon to have highly
  educated African Americans
• Dr. Rev. King not only had an advanced degree but
  was also well versed in religion
• Recipient of various prestigious accolades
• Nobel Peace Prize, Spingarn Medal, Time
  Magazines Man of the Year

10
Reward Power

• Could reward his subordinates with a changed
  future for themselves and their children
• Could reward all Americans with a more equal
  America
• Following the dreams set forth by Pres. Lincoln
  hundreds of years before

11
Proactive Influence

• His speeches conveyed emotional messages
• Apprising, rational persuasion, inspirational and
  personal appeals, exchange
• Sought coalition and group unity
• Collaboration and coalition tactics

12
Charismatic Leadership

• High self-confidence
• Willingness to question systems that had been set
  forth long ago
• Eloquent speaker
• Articulation of an appealing vision
• Using strong, expressive forms of communication
• Chastising violence as a means for catharsis
  under oppression
• Communicating high expectations of followers
• Strong beliefs in followers

13
Charismatic Leadership

• Moral and upstanding citizen
• Leader having exceptional qualities
• Rose in a time of crisis
• Envisioned an America that had never been seen
  before (Racial Equality)
• Radical vision

14
Transformational Leadership

• Combated the current American culture and
  government
• Moved masses towards radical change
• Sought to change institutions
• Enlightened public about the injustices
• Raised consciousness of ethical issues
• Engaged moral values of followers
• Found what could be done to correct them
• Mobilized energy and resources to change
  institutions
• Engaged follower action

15
Transformational Leadership

• Provided innovative means for achieving goals
• Civil disobedience, peaceful protesting
• Moved followers to transcend their own
  self-interest for the Civil Rights Movement
• Beatings, verbal abuse, harassment, etc.
• Made his own sacrifices for the sake of the
  movement
• Numerous arrests, stoning, and death

16
Turning Points

• Presidential recognition
• Growing numbers of Caucasian followers
• Branching out to Hispanic communities and low
  income areas

King with President Eisenhower
17
Key Achievements

• Civil Rights Act
• An Act To enforce the constitutional right to
  vote, to confer jurisdiction upon the district
  courts of the United States to provide injunctive
  relief against discrimination in public
  accommodations, to authorize the attorney General
  to institute suits to protect constitutional
  rights in public facilities and public education,
  to extend the Commission on Civil Rights, to
  prevent discrimination in federally assisted
  programs, to establish a Commission on Equal
  Employment Opportunity, and for other purposes.
  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
  Representatives of the United States of America
  in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited
  as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. U.S.
  Constitution

18
Key Achievements

• Voting Rights Act
• Ensuring voting rights for all citizens
• All citizens of the United States who are
  otherwise qualified by law to vote at any
  election by the people in any State, Territory,
  district, county, city, parish, township, school
  district, municipality, or other territorial
  subdivision, shall be entitled and allowed to
  vote at all such elections, without distinction
  of race, color, or previous condition of
  servitude any constitution, law, custom, usage,
  or regulation of any State or Territory, or by or
  under its authority, to the contrary
  notwithstanding. U.S. Constitution

19
An Amazing Orator
Without a doubt, King was a master orator. In
his most famous speech, the I Have A Dream
Speech, hundreds of thousands of people were in
attendance at the Washington Mall.
20
Aerial view of the Washington Mall during his I
Have a Dream speech given on August 28, 1963.
Click icon to hear speech.
21
A Simple Man
King enjoying a game of pool
King with wife Coretta Scott
22
A Tragic End

• April 4, 1968- the day following Kings famous
  Mountaintop speech
• Assassination in Memphis, Tennessee

23
Thousands of mourners gather to pay tribute to
the fallen leader.
Newspapers documenting the assassination
24
PAYING RESPECTS More than 100,000 people
followed the 3.5 mile coffin procession given to
King in Atlanta, Georgia.
25
Ironic End to a Peaceful Man

• Despite his firm belief and promotion of peaceful
  behavior, following his murder racial violence
  erupted in more than 125 cities around 28 states
• Perhaps indicates the last cry out against
  injustice

26
Future as a Leader

• His message was so powerful that even post mortem
  his vision still continued
• Although dead, King still continues with his
  message and provides inspiration for other
  revolutionaries who would follow
• Dalai Lama, Caesar Chavez
• Memorialized as a great civil rights leader
• History books, textbooks
• Memorial and Museum in Atlanta, Georgia
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project at
  Stanford University, California

27
Personal Takeaways

• Learned more about American heritage
• Inspired to follow dreams
• Discovered more about injustices abroad
• i.e. socially and politically accepted
  discrimination

28
Ive seen the Promised Land. I may not get
there with you, but I want you to know tonight,
that we as a people will get to the Promised
Land!
Listen to this speech!