By Marcus Atkinson
Follow on twitter: @marcusatkinson
I recently read the book, Death
of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Final Year, written
by Tavis Smiley. I read the book because I wanted to learn something beyond
what I hear every January and February. I read the book because I wanted
to go beyond the Letter from a Birmingham Jail, beyond a march, beyond the
Dream.
This book did that.
This article is not a review of the book. To read a review
from the New York Times click here.
My purpose is to explain what I got out of it and my life takeaway.
Generally, when we see King on recorded video we see a confident
man, with a clear vision with defined goals and steadfast convictions that led
him to become the man we created in our minds. Smiley attempts to show a
truer side of King, a man not unlike you and me and he does just that.
In his speech at Riverside in New York a year before his death,
King publically came out against the Vietnam War, effectively opposing
President Johnson, the man who advocated and signed the Civil Rights Act of
1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. After that, this book details the life
of a man overwhelmed with uncertainty and doubt, a year of ups, downs, many
failures, and few successes.
On the surface, the title suggest the literal, physical death of
King, however, I believe the title signifies an emotional death, a death
founded in a community who now believed King was “out of date”. As Smiley
wrote, before his death, King was seen as the ultimate Negro in a time when his
people now identified themselves as “Black”. King was seen as
increasingly out of touch and more people were turning away from non-violence
and toward a more militaristic approach to racial equality.
This change took a physical and emotional toll on King, his spirit
became weak, his doubts increased. The book shows a man who smoked
cigarettes to relieve stress, a man who cursed, drank alcohol unapologetically
on occasion, and a man who at times showed anger toward those he loved and
cared about.
In short, King was human, like you and I.
Founded by King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
appeared to have lost direction, with members upset with King’s public stance
against the war. Funds were low and the future was in doubt. The SCLC
appeared to have a divided leadership, some of which did not agree with
King. This again caused King to question himself, increase his stress and
ad worry to an already caring and heavy hearted man.
And his new book did poorly in sales, adding to his personal
financial troubles.
Ultimately, this book was inspiring. Inspiring because it
shows a man no different than you and I, with doubt, with faults, with
uncertainly and vices. A man who didn’t have all the answers. A man
who argued, who had anger and a man who could not sleep at night.
Like you and I.
It is inspiring because King accomplished so much, meant so much
to so many people, despite all the above. It shows that we today can do
the same. Though King was special, though he was unique, we today can
accomplish the same he did and more.
We put King on an unattainable pedestal, making his goals and
aspirations impossible for us to meet, but this book shows another side.
A side that says there is another King living today, walking among us, we just
need to find him or her and make that person believe in their capabilities.
Death of a King shows a man who kept moving despite an
increasingly unpopularity. A man who worked tirelessly for his people
even after some abandoned him. It shows
a man who persevered and never gave up, virtues we all hold inside of us.
On that day in Memphis King’s last fall came while standing up for
poor people, for people who were being taking advantage of financially.
Working long hours, in very poor working conditions, risking death and health
on a daily basis. King died in a city which still believed in
non-violence in a time of war.
Despite his vices, his doubts, his worries. King held true
to his convictions, something all of us can do.
Well written Marcus. I'm moved, reminded and inspired. Thank you.
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