Why we can't wait

by Jr. Martin Luther King

Paper Book, 2010

Status

Available

Call number

323.1196/0730761781

Genres

General Nonfiction

Politics, Government, Law and Public Policy

History

All Topics

Nonfiction

Publication

Boston : Beacon Press, c2010.

Description

Overview: Dr. King's best-selling account of the civil rights movement in Birmingham during the spring and summer of 1963. Often applauded as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s most incisive and eloquent book, Why We Can't Wait recounts the Birmingham campaign in vivid detail, while underscoring why 1963 was such a crucial year for the civil rights movement. During this time, Birmingham, Alabama, was perhaps the most racially segregated city in the United States, but the campaign launched by Fred Shuttlesworth, King, and others demonstrated to the world the power of nonviolent direct action. King examines the history of the civil rights struggle and the tasks that future generations must accomplish to bring about full equality. The book also includes the extraordinary "Letter from Birmingham Jail," which King wrote in April of 1963.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member fdholt

Why we can’t wait is Martin Luther King’s essay on the civil rights movement and the events of 1963, a pivotal year in the struggle, the year of the Birmingham protests and the year of the march on Washington when Dr. King told us “I have a dream.” When I first read the book in college, the

events were fresh. Re-reading the book many years later, I am still impressed by the writing of Dr. King and his message is as relevant today as it was then.

The book explains why the movement decided to focus on Birmingham, perhaps the most oppressive city in Alabama for minorities, and the strategies of nonviolent protest. Included in the book is the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” which is a reply to clergy in Birmingham who asked for moderation. Dr. King explains why that time was now to change America and moderation was no longer acceptable. The events of 1963 led to political action by Lyndon Johnson and other members of Congress. Dr. King then goes on to explain why affirmative action (as we call it today) is necessary and desirable.

The author and TV host Glen Beck holds Martin Luther King Jr. as one of the great men of the 20th century. Whether you agree with Beck or not, take his advice in reading original source materials from Dr. King himself, not what someone else has written about him. On the subject of civil rights, this book is a good place to start.

Show Less

2 more

LibraryThing member Madamxtra

Dr. King’s words are gems – Profound. Written with the eloquence of Shakespeare and the timeliness of today’s headlines. This book dispels the mythical, classroom teachings that tout the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, as an accidental occurrence – shedding light on the intricate plans,

tactics and maneuvers of dedicates individuals and groups who understood the gravity of the mission: None are free, until all are free.
Squelching racial bigotry and “Jim Crow” laws was the widely viewed aim of the mission – but Civil Rights are the Basic Rights – Human Rights. These are the rights that so many (including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) sacrificed and died to give to all disenfranchised people, everywhere...SMILE!!!

Show Less

LibraryThing member jonbrammer

What’s important to remember when considering King’s legacy is that his vision of social justice changed in the late 60s to an economics of raising up the poor of all races. He knew that racial animosity would continue as long as the middle class could be convinced that the poor, minorities and

immigrants should be derided and and scapegoated. The last thirty years have seen the economic hierarchy become even more skewed towards the 1%, who have grabbed the reins of political power through their proxies in the Republican Party.

Show Less

Fewer