A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. Author: Martin Luther King | Language: English | ISBN:
0060646918 | Format: PDF
A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. Description
Review
"Brings us King in many roles--philosopher, theologian, orator, essayist, interviewee, and author." --
-- San Francisco Chronicle Review"Here, in [King's] own words, are the philosophy and strategy of nonviolent protest . . . King's persuasiveness comes through again and again." --
-- The New York Times Book Review "The most powerful and enduring words of the man who touched the conscience of the nation and the world." --
-- The Kansas City Star From the Publisher
An exhaustive collection of the speeches, writings, and interviews with the Nobel Prize-winning activist.
See all Editorial Reviews
- Paperback: 736 pages
- Publisher: HarperOne; Reprint edition (April 29, 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0060646918
- ISBN-13: 978-0060646912
- Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Yesterday, the 40th anniversary of MLK's assassination, I spent the better part of the day thumbing through A Testment of Hope. The book is an old friend of mine. I've read and reread it for nearly twenty years now, both privately and with students in at least a dozen classes.
What I like so much about editor James Washington's collection is its comprehensiveness. In a single volume, one finds MLK's thoughts on nonviolence, civil rights and integration, the Vietnam War and poverty, Christianity and social responsibility, and justice and morality. His ideas are conveyed here through essays, sermons, interviews, and lengthy, meaty excerpts from his five books. Everything that one could want is here, including what I personally take to be his very best work: "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" (1963), "Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience" (1961), "A Christmas Sermon on Peace" (1967), "A Time to Break Silence" (1967), the "I Have a Dream" speech (1961), and Stride Toward Freedom's masterful discussion of the tactics and principles of nonviolence (1958).
Today, four decades after his death, the country is still struggling to grow into MLK's vision of reconciliation and nonviolence. One can only imagine how sad he would be at the post-9/11 turn toward militarism the nation has taken, the current wave of sentiment against Latino immigrants, the constant economic disparity between white households and African American ones, or the upswing in hate crimes against Muslims. In re-reading A Testament of Hope, I was reminded yet again of how very much we need a present-day prophet of King's caliber, vision, and courage, and of how very grateful I am that we once had King himself.
A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. Preview
Link
Please Wait...