Abstract: A review of The Radical King by Martin Luther King Jr. edited and introduced by Cornel West, 2015 (Boston: Beacon Press, 2014. 300 pp., ISBN 978-0-8070-1282-6), reviewed by Gregory T. Bailey ([email protected]), Ph.D. Partner of Atty. Greg T. Bailey and Assoc. Douglasville, Georgia. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cornel West edited and introduced us to his book titled The Radical King by Martin Luther King, Jr. with great promise. volume contained twenty-three items, mostly speeches, articles, or sermons, that were written or delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. West divides his book into four parts: Radical Love; Prophetic Vision: Global Analysis and Local Praxis; The Revolution of Nonviolent Resistance: Against Empire and White Supremacy; and Overcoming Tyranny of Poverty and Hatred. Within these sections, West's main objective is to uncover a Martin Luther King not known to most American. Furthermore, editor notes that This book unearths a radical King that we can no longer sanitize. His revolutionary witness--embodied in anti-imperial, anti-colonial, anti-racist, and democratic socialist sentiments-was grounded in his courage to think, his courage to love, and his courage to die (p. xvi). Finally West also asserts that this book will contain evidence of King's courage to think, to love, and to die that has been sanitized. review seeks to examine previous noted themes as well as West's attempt to discuss new speeches, articles and sermons or analysis of King that have been sanitized. In introduction of this volume West analyzed hypnotical King's position on Obama Administration. West shared with his audience his personal conversation with candidate for President then Senator Barack Obama. West lamented that he asked candidate/Senator Obama about his relationship to King's legacy. Although President Obama's answers satisfied West at that moment, years later West stated that President Obama's action since that time have not met up to standards of King. Are there many men and women that can live up to King standard and be leader of free world? Specifically, West stated that the dream of radical King for first black president surely was not a Wall Street presidency, drone presidency, and surveillance presidency with a vanishing black middle class, devastated black working class, and desperate black poor people clinging to fleeting symbols and empty rhetoric (p. xiv). However, West provided his audience with little support on how King would have envisioned first black president. West does not mentioned goals of Poor People's March on Washington, where each person would be guaranteed some form of income, that Federal Government would distribute some of vast amount of land that it possesses to poor to exacerbate poverty, that each person have access to capital and that each person is allowed to participate in decision making regarding programs that affect their daily lives (Young 2004). West also could have been objective and stated that despite wide spread opposition by Republican Party, Obama Administration passed legislation that saved General Motors and Chrysler from going out of business and saved millions of jobs. Likewise, West could have credited Obama Administration with passing Affordable Healthcare Act, popularly known as Obama care, which enabled nearly sixteen million people to have healthcare. Indeed, President Obama did lead country out of worst recession since Great Depression. An objective analysis of King's legacy demonstrated that he was objective, patient, and persistent. If President of United States or other government officials did not yield to his persuasion, King would have used tools of nonviolence to persuade them. His rationale was explained in Letter from Birmingham Jail that was included in book but, West fails to reference it. …
Publication Year: 2015
Publication Date: 2015-08-01
Language: en
Type: review
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