Martin Luther King, Jr. [electronic resource] : Apostle of Militant Nonviolence

In this exemplary work of scholarly synthesis the author traces the course of events from the emergence of Martin Luther King, Jr. as a national black spokesman during the Montgomery bus boycott to his radical critique of American society and foreign policy during the last years of his life. He also provides the first in-depth analysis of King's famous Letter from Birmingham Jail - a manifesto of the American civil rights movement and an eloquent defence of non-violent protest. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction....Pages 1-4 Montgomery: The Walking City, 1955–6....Pages 5-19 Nonviolence Spreads in the South, 1957–61....Pages 20-39 The Lessons of Albany, Georgia, 1961–2....Pages 40-53 Birmingham and the March on Washington, 1963....Pages 54-76 Interlude: King’s Letter to America....Pages 77-95 The Struggle Continues, 1964....Pages 96-115 Selma and the Voting Rights Act of 1965....Pages 116-136 Interlude: The Paradox of Nonviolence....Pages 137-148 A New Direction: Chicago, 1966....Pages 149-177 King Takes a Radical Stand, 1967–8....Pages 178-198 Epilogue....Pages 199-203 Back Matter....Pages 204-238 A study that captures the drama of the black freedom struggle in America during the 1950s and 60s, showing how King's leadership showed the way to non-violent protest. An analysis of King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail", a manifesto of the American Civil Rights Movement, is included.