The Life and Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King: Apostle of Militant Nonviolence by James A. Colaiaco was written in 1988. The book provides details about the acts of Martin Luther King Junior to the freedom of black people through various significant aspects such as a detailed analysis of the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” voting rights, and other matters (Kirkus Review). The book outlines how King insisted on using non-violence means to achieve freedom for the black community in the US.

The author gives an account of how King became a national figure after the Montgomery bus boycott in 1956 (Kirkus Review). King was profoundly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, who fought for the freedom of Indians during the colonial rule through non-violence methods (Greaves 33). King maneuvered the American constitution through peaceful insights and forced the country’s rulers to solve the American dilemma, i.e., the democratic ideal versus giving black people their freedom (Kirkus Review). According to the US Constitution, America is a democratic nation. Hence, having different rights for different people based on their skin color was a violation of their constitutional rights. Colaiaco explains how King used the media to relay his message. Martin Luther King Jr. used the national media skillfully by drawing the public’s attention to the peaceful demonstrations, which revealed the brutality against black people (Deluna). During the protests, white people were made to believe that black people were naturally violent by law enforcement agencies, politicians, and the media. These parties did not inform the people about the atrocities of white people against African Americans. King told the public through the media that Black Americans were only fighting for their rights to equal treatment.

The book provides a precise balance of King as an individual with both successes and failures.  Through this, Colaiaco makes King relatable to the average person, more so the reader. The author documents King’s less successful endeavors such as his protest against America’s involvement in the Vietnam War and his condemnation of the American Society (Kirkus Review). King was also unsuccessful in his attempts to educate the public about problems in the northern regions of the country such as racial segregation in Chicago, the lackadaisical viewpoints of African Americans living on ghettos, and the black militants who challenged King’s authority (e.g., H. Rap Brown and Stokely Carmichael (Kirkus Review). Colaiaco described the letter as one of the most significant historical documents from King’s era. The author shows his readers how King convinced the public that civil disobedience does not equal to anarchy.  

Also, the book brings a better understanding to the public that black power does not in any way challenge the existence of white people. Black freedom means merely equality of the races. The skin’s color should not describe a person’s worth. Americans should not support racism from black or white people. The author analyses the sentiments of Bayard Rustin, which state that black power had been understood by some people and resulted in white racism within the black community and the sabotage of the liberal-labor civil rights group, which was essential to obtaining social justice (Colaiaco 167). A columnist from the New York Post, James Wechsler, stated that Black Power was a national tragedy since most white people thought that the movement threatened their existence (Colaiaco 167). Journalists such as Wechsler contributed to further division between black people and the rest of Americans. They portrayed African Americans as aggressive individuals who should be controlled by documenting violent protests without mentioning the poor living conditions of the black community. The result was a negative attitude (including hatred) of whites towards blacks.

Furthermore, the author outlines King’s struggle in dealing with different groups of African Americans. One would think that King had an easy time spreading his message to the entire black community as a leader. However, the black people from the south were very different from those that live in the city ghettos. Africans Americans in the South were church-oriented and reached them was easy through religious leaders (Colaiaco 168). Hence, King’s nonviolent philosophy was quickly adopted in this region.  On the other hand, black people from the ghetto were accustomed to violence due to their living conditions. For this reason, they only responded to King’s call to nonviolence once he persuaded Mayor Daley to improve living conditions in the ghetto (Colaiaco 168).

In addition to this, the writer outlines the role of white leaders in the fight for black freedom. In Chicago, if the mayor continued to turn a blind eye to the mistreatment of black folk, violence would erupt, and many people would die. However, if he prevented white people from interfering with the peaceful demonstrations, Mayor Richard Daley would lose his seat in the next election (Colaiaco 172). The book shows that not all white leaders supported the mistreatment of black people. The need to maintain their political influence among the white population (which comprised of voters) forced them to ignore the plight of African Americans. The mayor was also driven by the avoidance of chaos in the city. He enhanced the facilities used by black people in Chicago to avoid violence. Mayor Darley constructed recreational facilities (e.g., swimming pools) and attached nozzles to West Side fire hydrants.

Works Cited

Colaiaco, James A. Martin Luther King Jr.: Apostle of Militant Nonviolence. Macmillan Press, 1988. 1-177. .

Deluna, Penaflor. Martin Luther King Jr.: Apostle of Militant Nonviolence. 2016. .

Greaves, Gabriel A. ”Hidden Black and Brown Bridges: The Mutual Influences of Dr. Martin Luther King and Hispanic Theologian Dr. Gusto Gonzalez.“2016. .

Kirkus Review. Martin Luther King Jr.: Apostle of Militant Nonviolence. 2018. .