The Measure Of A Man

Front Cover
Literary Licensing, LLC, 2011 - 42 pages
The Measure of a Man is a collection of essays and speeches by Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most prominent figures in the American Civil Rights Movement. The book was first published in 1959, and it explores the concept of human dignity and the importance of living a life of purpose and meaning. King argues that the measure of a person is not determined by their material possessions or social status, but rather by their commitment to justice, equality, and compassion.The book is divided into three sections. The first section focuses on the importance of self-respect and self-worth, and how these qualities are essential for building a just society. The second section discusses the role of love and nonviolence in achieving social change, and how these principles can be used to transform society. The final section explores the concept of leadership and the qualities that make a great leader.Throughout the book, King draws on his own experiences as a civil rights activist and preacher, as well as his deep knowledge of philosophy, theology, and social theory. He uses powerful language and vivid imagery to convey his message, and his words continue to inspire readers today.The Measure of a Man is a timeless classic that offers a powerful message of hope and inspiration. It is a must-read for anyone interested in social justice, human rights, and the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

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About the author (2011)

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 into a middle-class black family in Atlanta, Georgia. He received a degree from Morehouse College. While there his early concerns for social justice for African Americans were deepened by reading Henry David Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience." He enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary and there became acquainted with the Social Gospel movement and the works of its chief spokesman, Walter Rauschenbusch. Mohandas Gandhi's practice of nonviolent resistance (ahimsaahimsa) later became a tactic for transforming love into social change. After seminary, he postponed his ministry vocation by first earning a doctorate at Boston University School of Theology. There he discovered the works of Reinhold Niebuhr and was especially struck by Niebuhr's insistence that the powerless must somehow gain power if they are to achieve what is theirs by right. In the Montgomery bus boycott, it was by economic clout that African Americans broke down the walls separating the races, for without African American riders, the city's transportation system nearly collapsed. The bus boycott took place in 1954, the year King and his bride, Coretta Scott, went to Montgomery, where he had been called to serve as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Following the boycott, he founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to coordinate civil rights organizations. Working through African American churches, activists led demonstrations all over the South and drew attention, through television and newspaper reports, to the fact that nonviolent demonstrations by blacks were being suppressed violently by white police and state troopers. The federal government was finally forced to intervene and pass legislation protecting the right of African Americans to vote and desegregating public accommodations. For his nonviolent activism, King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. While organizing a "poor people's campaign" to persuade Congress to take action against poverty, King accepted an invitation to visit Memphis, Tennessee, where sanitation workers were on strike. There, on April 4, 1968, he was gunned down while standing on the balcony of his hotel.

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