History Speaks: Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today's discussion focused on MLK's "local" life as a minister and activist, while it also examined King's work post-1963, the national and international "radical" phase Harvard Sitkoff captures in his recent book.

Important moments during this period include his Nobel Prize Speech (December 1964), his Mountaintop Speech (April 1968), his Vietnam War speech (April 1967), and the God is Marching On (March 1965)address.

Your assignment tonight is to listen to clips of the Mountaintop speech and to read the text of this address. Listen and read here. Answer the following questions on your own paper, and bring them to class tomorrow ready to discuss.

1. What is the aim of the Mountaintop speech?

2. What historical references does MLK make in the speech, and why do you think he makes them?

3. Discuss King's use of biblical language in this speech.

4. If you could ask King one question about this address, what would you ask and why? (Feel free to post this question in the comments section.)

[Photo credit here.]

Religion and the Civil Rights Movement: Summary Assignment

In a 2-3 page reflection paper, of the people we've discussed in class, pick the figure (or group or organization) from you think best explains the role of religion in the CRM. Argue why this person best illumates the way that religion informed the CRM.

Your paper should present the basic biographical details of the person's life, 3-4 reasons why you think this person is important, and the use/analysis of one (1) relevant primary document.

Your paper should be 12-point font, Times New Roman or Georgia, with 1" margins. Citations should be in MLA style, and make sure you include a bibliography/works cited page.

And for what it is worth, something to take note of: links to pages that deal with music and the CRM. Tunes 1, Tunes 2, and Voices 1, Tunes 3.

Counting the Cost with a Radical Faith: Non-Black Participants in the Civil Rights Movment

Robert Graetz, a retired Lutheran minister who is white, participated in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and gave his time, effort, energy, struggle, and prayer to the CRM. His personal friends included Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr.

His story is one of a number of white people who participated in the CRM. Rabbi Abraham Heschel was also a key figure in the movement, and many people reflect on his legacy.

Graetz has published two books on his experiences (click here too). Read a review of his latest book here. Follow this link to watch an interview with Rev. Graetz (fast forward to 4:40), and listen here to another interview.

April 4, 2008 will mark the 40th anniversary of MLK's death. Read Graetz's reflections here.

In addition to studying the life and witness of Robert Graetz, we will spend some time examining the stories of nuns who marched in Selma in 1965, and delve into the stories associated with Southern Baptist minister Clarence Jordan and his multiracial community, Koinonia Farm.

James Baldwin and the Civil Rights Movement

James Baldwin is an important part of the CRM, and per the theme of this class, helpful as we try to better understand the central role of religion in the CRM. We'll be reading Baldwin selections from this book.

The radio show Democracy Now recently devoted part of a show to Baldwin's legacy, interviewing his sister-in-law Carole Weinstein as well as actor Calvin Levels, who is performing a one-man-show of James Baldwin called "James Baldwin: Down From the Mountaintop." Read a review here.

Other Baldwin resources include a C-SPAN special here. Visit the blog of Professor Zero who has a page of Baldwin links. For those more familiar with Baldwin's work, there's tons to read here, or here. Or, read Baldwin quotes with links to other great sites.

Finally, artist Claire Burch has created some wonderfully stunning artwork with Baldwin as its subject, shares articles and letters, and offers poetic reflections with "Arrival of James Baldwin: Mysterious Circumstances."

Finally, watch Baldwin footage on YouTube here.
[Photo credit here.]

It's Funny Stuff: Blogs, Campaigns, and Political Humor

For some good laughs, check out these political cartoon pages--here, here, and here. Pick two cartoons, and be prepared to discuss both tomorrow. For one of the cartoons, write a one page, typed response (12-point font). In your response answer the follow questions: what is the subject of the cartoon? What is the context of the cartoon? Does the cartoon successfully communicate its message--in other words, what point of view does the cartoon represent?

Secondly, pick one political blog from this website, and read through recent posts. Be prepared to discuss your blog-of-choice tomorrow, incorporating Wednesday's class discussion about politics and technology.

(By the way, this assignment is no joke.)

Martin & Malcolm

Today's discussion centered on particular comparisons between MLK and Malcolm X. Focusing on King's life post-1963, the "radical" phase Harvard Sitkoff captures in his recent book, students analyzed the following King speeches for content, rhetoric, and references to religion in general and Christianity in particular: Nobel Prize Speech (December 1964), Mountaintop Speech (April 1968), and the God is Marching On (March 1965)address.





After listening to excerpts from King speeches, we read and discussed King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" after reading the letter that prompted King's reply issued in 1963 by white Alabama clergy.





Students also listened to a Malcolm X address from December 1964--the same month King delivered his Nobel Prize speech--and began to view clips from Spike Lee's 1992 movie Malcolm X.



Although we didn't discuss it in class today, an important book on the subject is theologian James Cone's Martin & Malcolm: A Dream or a Nightmare (1992). Read an interview with Cone in which he discusses the book.

Equally important is Manning Marable's forthcoming biography of Malcolm X. Marable is involved in the Malcolm X Project at Columbia, and has talked about this work in several places. Check it out here and here.

Other primary materials include some of the FBI files on Martin and Malcolm.

[Photo credit here.]

That's the Ticket: Interim Term/Election 2008

Today's class will introduce the topic of the 2008 election, the importance of discussion and dialogue when conversing about politics. And we will spend some time thinking and talking about campaigning, and the politics of personality, all with an eye to Tuesday, March 4, the day of the Texas Primary. Listen to a radio story about the Texas Primary here. Check out this interactive map that details the 2008 election.


Take a USA Today candidate match quiz here, and another candidate quiz here. Record your results in the comments section.

Per today's discussion, here's a link to the Nixon-Kennedy debate. and other one here.

**Your assignments tonight are:

1. to find a newspaper article (local, regional, state, or national newsource) about one of the presidential candidates, bring a hard copy of it to class tomorrow, and be prepared to discuss it.

2. take both candidate quizzes and record the results in the comments section. Before you take the quizzes, record which candidate you think you most clearly identify with; then see what the quizzes reveal.

In no particular order, here are links to the major candidates:

John McCain

Barack Obama

Mike Huckabee

Hillary Clinton

Ron Paul, no. 1

Ron Paul, no. 2

Ralph Nader

Here's the link to a list of other political parties.

[Photo credit here.]

A Righteous, Spiritual, and Religious Struggle: The Civil Rights Movement (Interim Term 2008)

Today's class offered an overview of the Civil Rights Movement (CRM), and focused specifically on the religious dimensions of the struggle.

Here's a link to the documentary, a link to Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham, some info about Ralph Abernathy, Fred Shuttlesworth (and here and here), and more about King's nonviolence (here also). Also, read about Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.

Here's a link to King's final speech in Memphis, as well as to his Vietnam War speech.

+++++++++++++++

We will devote part of tomorrow's class to the role of W.E.B. Du Bois in the CRM.

Click here for a short biographical sketch of Du Bois, a photo-text exhibit on Du Bois's life, and a brief movie clip that addresses Du Bois in the early 20th century. Here's another look at Du Bois's life.

The University of Massachusetts-Amherts contains the largest collection of Du Bois's papers, and hosts an on-line repository with tons of pictures and a large number of documents. In fact, the Afro-American studies department at UMass-Amherst takes it name from Du Bois. Here's another collection of things Du Bois (click on the animated map--a cool feature of the site), and a short summary of his early life in Great Barrington.

Regarding primary sources, here's the W.E.B. Du Bois Virtual University, Professor Robert Williams's fabulous repository of Du Bois resources, the resources page at the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies at UMass-Amherst, Dr. Steven Hale's Du Bois on-line selections, resources from the Documenting the American South project, the Perspectives in American Literature (PAL) page, the reading room at Harvard's Du Bois Institute, documents from the FBI files of Du Bois (though redacted), Du Bois's New York Times featured author page (subscription required), the e-project at the University of Virginia Library (scroll down for Du Bois), and in other various places Paul Harvey points out.

Here are important reflections on religion, race, and Du Bois's creative writing.

+++++++++++++++

In an interesting historical moment, Du Bois died the day before MLK's famous 1963 "I Have a Dream Speech."

This provides the occasion for an interesting question for you to ponder: from what you've learned about the life of Du Bois (primarily from the biographical links above), and what you know about the CRM and its history in general, in your opinion what role did Du Bois play in the CRM and in what ways did his life and influence provide a foundation for the CRM? Why or why not?

Post your answer in the comments section. We'll continue the discussion in class tomorrow.

Interim Term (I-Term): Election 2008

Today's class will introduce the topic of the 2008 election, the importance of discussion and dialogue when conversing about politics. And we will spend some time thinking and talking about campaigning, and the politics of personality, all with an eye to Tuesday, March 4, the day of the Texas Primary. Listen to a radio story about the Texas Primary here. Check out this interactive map that details the 2008 election.



Take a USA Today candidate match quiz here, and another candidate quiz here. Record your results in the comments section.