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January 12, 2011
v) 2011 s p e c ia l ed itio n
The Autobiography of Dr, Martin Luther King Jr,
Today Americans celebrate
Dr. King’s life and legacy. Ob
served as a federal holiday since
1983- Martin Luther King Jr.
Day was re-framed as a na
tional day of service in 1994- it
wasn’t until 2(XX) that every state
officially recognized the holiday.
There are few Americans as
well-known or oft-quoted as Dr.
King, yet many of us have read
or heard relatively little from the
man himself. The Autobiogra
phy of Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. is a great place to start.
Because Dr. King never had
the opportunity to write his mem
oirs, this substantial book has
been e d ite d by C la y b o rn e
Carson, the immensely qualified
Stanford University history pro
fessor. Carson is the editor of
the d e fin itiv e K ing P apers
Project, including the audio ver-
"E x iv p tio n jlly »uct'c»*lul. illu in iiu lc s
(lie u ite lin n u l u tid rrp iu iiin g t o f
King’» courage.” — Ihr Vcw Vorirer
TH E A U T O B IO G R A P H Y OF
M ARTI N
LU TH ER
K IN G ,J R .
E D IT E D
Coach Nate McMillan
KING JR.
“ Martin Luther King Jr. was all about opportunity and equal rights for all people. We’re starting to see changes
in our country, but there is work to be done as far as communication and people’s voices being heard. That is
what his message was all about, that everyone would have an opportunity to make it in this world.”
- TRAIL BLAZERS COACH NATE McMILLAN
make It better
To learn more about how you can m ake it b etter together with
the Trail Blazers visit trailb lazers.co m /m a keitb etter
Take Action Get Tested
............. ... —.
, __________________________________________
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with or without your name
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Call 503.988.3775 for an appt.
Mon I Thurs | Fri |
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Tuesdays | 5:30 - 7:15 pm
5329 NE MLK Jr. Blvd, 2nd Floor, |
Portland, 97211 |
__Se habla español: other interpretation by appointment.
BY C L A Y B O R N E C A R S O N
sion of A Call to Conscience:
The L andm ark S peeches o f
Martin Luther King, Jr., a wor
thy addition to your mp3 player.
From his years of research
Dr. Carson is able to edit a first-
person narrative that traces the
arc of Dr. King’s childhood, pas
torate, family life, and leadership
within the civil rights movement.
This last theme receives the most
attention and sheds considerable
light on the context- historical,
cultural, and theological- of those
days. The well-known events
which have been flattened and
simplified over time are shown
in The Autobiography to have
been incredibly complex, nu-
anced, and without guarantee of
success.
This book gives us the chance
to see the very human Martin
King. Rather than editing a
hagiography, Carson has in
cluded the poignant moments
when Dr. King experienced fear,
doubt and confusion. Great
speeches and prophetic corre
spondence are interspersed with
Dr. King’s deep concern for the
safety of his family and emo-
tional toll from living a very pub
lic life.
Readers will also appreciate
the theology and rooted con
viction that em erge from these
pages. Dr. K ing’s iconic sta
tus means his words are often
lifted and co-opted for a vari
ety of purposes, resulting in a
man bound neither by time nor
s p e c if ic b e lie f .
S u ch an
ahistorical view ignores the fact
that Dr. K ing’s vision and lead
ership cam e from som ew here.
Carson captures a man who
w restled in tensely w ith his
C hristian theology in order to
give philosophical and struc
tural underpinnings to a free
dom m ovem ent that would be
assailed from all sides.
In the end. Dr. King saw the
d e a th and r e s u r re c tio n o f
Jesus, “that great event on
C alvary,’’ as the hope for genu
ine reconciliation and justice,
the foundation for “the beloved
com m unity.” The A utobiog
raphy makes clear that one of
A m erica's greatest preachers
and leaders still has much to
teach us today.
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