In this fourth section of my outside reading, one thing I noticed is how staunch Martin Luther King, Jr. was in his morals. Two main events that I read about were the Albany Movement and the Birmingham Campaign. During the Albany Movement, King was arrested for leading a demonstration. In his journal from jail, King wrote, "Jail is depressing because it shuts off the world. It leaves one caught in the dull monotony of sameness. It is almost like being dead while one still lives" (157). The people who King was fighting against did their best to squash his hope and vigor by jailing him. This journal entry shows what a huge effect their actions had on King. The sorts of feelings he wrote about are not the sort of emotions you would want someone who leads the masses to experience, because it could affect his leadership. That was exactly what the opposition was trying to make happen. But when he was released from jail, King continued to do what he did best - leading his people towards freedom. As much of a downer as jail might have been, he didn't let it get to him, or affect his ethics. King kept his beliefs intact even in times of struggle.
During the Birmingham Campaign, King was once again jailed, this time in solitary confinement. King describes to the reader how "Those were the longest, most frustrating and bewildering hours I have lived. Having no contact of any kind, I was besieged with worry" (184). But despite this torture, King didn't lose faith. He even proceeded to write the inspiring Letter From Birmingham Jail. King points out that he wrote this lengthy letter on scarce bits of paper and had it snuck out of jail. Not only did he not let the conditions of jail harm his morals, King even created one of his most famous works while confined. His ethics were always unwavering.
King, Martin Luther. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ed. Clayborne Carson. New York: Warner, 1998.
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4 comments:
"It is almost like being dead while one still lives" That is a really cool quote. It seems so true. Living in a jail cell but without contact with anyone or the ability to do anything would be as close to living death as possible. I can't imagine what jail would have been like for a man trying lead in such a prominent way. Being completely cut off from what you were doing would be beyond stressful. It stresses me out just to think about it. But I think it shows a lot of his character when he writes and does all he possibly can to help his cause even while stuck in a jail cell. Nice Lida!!
It's amazing how dedicated King was to his beliefs. If I were in jail multiple times, I would probably lose faith in my beliefs and my spirits would defintely be crushed. I think this unwavering dedication is part of what made King such a strong leader.
I think it is truly amazing that even though Martin Luther King Jr. went through so much, he still was a ble to continue on and he didn't give up. Not many people would be able to do this. I think this makes him even more of a hero than people already view him as. This is another great example of how history changes how people think of others. At the time, there were people who thought that MLK Jr. was a traitor. He was even assassinated by someone. Now, though, we have a national holiday in his honor.
I agree with christina. The quote you picked was really cool and perfect for what you were trying to say. Its really amazing how King was able to lead all those people to freedom while staying confident and strong. Usually the pressure of society is very powerful, and many succumb to the pressure; but King did an amazing job of leading his people.
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