An incredible collection, covering the wide-ranging scope of King's thinking and analysis, most of which we never hear about since he has been restricted to being a Civil Rights leader only, an important role but much narrower than what he was actually doing. King reflected and commented on the economic system, the U.S. international role, the development of other nations, etc., and his thinking remains germane today.

The only criticism I have of this book is that it needed a thicker editorial layer. For instance, many of the texts of his speeches are variations of each other. It would have been useful to have an essay at the beginning of such "chunks" that described the main points he was making, and how and why the speeches were modified for different situations or as his thinking changed. ( )

A Testament of Hope:
The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr
Editor: James M Washington
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publishing Date:1986
Edition/Volume: 1st
Pgs: 702
Dewey: 973.923 KIN
Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX
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REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Summary: Martin Luther King’s thoughts on nonviolence, social policy, integration, black nationalism, ethics, hope, and more, in his own words. Sermons, interviews, speeches, writings, essays, and books, quotes from many sources, Reverend King’s own words speaking to the reader today.
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Genre:
African American Studies
Civil Rights
United States
History
Race Relations
Christian
Ministry
Evangelism
Education
Teaching
Politics
Social Sciences
Demographics

Why this book:
Why not this book? We all need to take a long hard look at ourselves and our country at times. We all need to have a mirror held up to us and really look at what is staring back at us. I’ve been wanting to read the sermons and speeches of MLK for many years. The way I looked at the world changed when I first heard and truly paid attention to the I Have a Dream speech. If I offend someone with my commentary here, please know that I am merely reaching for my own understanding and wrestling with my conscience of the history of my own people, our shared existence, and the human condition. I’m not trying to racesplain. I’m trying to look in the mirror as an American, a human, and a 50-something year old Caucasian. My thoughts, my struggle, my need to understand the deep and abiding truth of a great man’s soul.
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Character I Most Identified With:
Reading this and trying not to play the “look at how woke I am” game with myself. People who fall into that trap seem idiotic to me. And I don’t want to be an idiot. But I can see it’s attraction. Everybody wants people to think they are awesome.

The Feel:
There are so many juicy, crunchy ideals, morals, and concepts here that if I tried to quote everything that made me sit up and take notice, I’d be writing the entire book into my review.

Favorite Scene / Quote/Concept:
“...the important thing about a man is not his specificity but his fundamentum...not the texture of his hair or the color of his skin, but the quality of his soul.” ---Amen.

“Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate.” ---Jesus turned the other cheek. But Jesus was exceptional. We carry grudges. We mire ourselves in our pettiness. Though to us, it may not seem petty. It is hard to see beyond what is gnawing at you and/or blocking your view.

The victory of small steps.

Rosa Parks was asked why. “It was a matter of dignity; I could not have faced myself and my people if I had moved.” --Those moments in life do define you beyond yourself. The great majority of us haven’t had or ever will have a moment like Ms Parks, but we all have our moments. Live up to yours.

The I Have A Dream speech and the I Have Seen The Promised Land speech are 2 of the most powerful oratorical markers in our lifetimes.

Hmm Moments:
I believe that MLK’s beloved community does exist. But, in juxtaposition, I, also, believe that there are far more people with no shame than he ever expected.

I wonder if MLK resonates with modern people or if his teachings have become like Ben Franklin and Plato et al. Important historical figures who spoke to their times and have messages for modernity, but aren’t vibrantly part of everyday life.

“...in the question of ends and means...Machiavelli...the end justified the means...Lenin...Lies, deceit, and violence are justifiable...principle of nonviolence...the means represent the ideal in the making.” ---Often it seems that nonviolence is easily ignored in today’s world. With the 86,400 seconds a day news cycle, a story about a nonviolent protest blips up on the national consciousness and is gone.

Wisdom:
“Privileged groups rarely give up their privileges without strong resistance.” ---Too true. Though whether we all want to share in the privileges denied us or truly take them away from another is a semantic point. The unjust privilege should be removed. The just privilege extant between human beings equal in the eyes of society should be shared. As I said, semantics.

Life and Americanism isn’t praising Congress and the Supreme Court when we agree and accusing of overreach when we don’t. Too many of us think of it as a line where we are trying to advance, or a mountain we are trying to climb, when actually it’s a tapestry and all the pieces aren’t even and equal.

Juxtaposition:
“In your struggle for Justice, let your oppressor know that you are not attempting to defeat or humiliate him, or even to pay him back for injustices that he has heaped upon you.” --And there in a MLK Jr sermon from Montgomery, Alabama in 1956 is how the closeted racist on a pulpit, on a courthouse bench, wearing a badge, or in a Congressional or Senatorial seat or even in the White House plays on the fear that the African American is going to do to the Caucasian American what was done to them. It is a powerful lever to move people, fear.

“...the Old South has gone forever...futile attempt by White South to maintain a system...under a feudalistic plantation system...that cannot survive in a democratic age.” ---MLK would be so disappointed in us.

The Unexpected:
Leaves me to wonder at the impact of the Oligarchy on maintaining the status quo and lessening the power of religion. The evangelical awakening in politics seems to be more an oligarchial tool rather than having anything to do with the Word.

Missed Opportunity:
I believe that, as surely, as we have, largely, moved away from using the word Black, we should phase out the word White. Caucasian American should be the term used. We’re all from someplace. We’re not the colors of our skin. Maybe Caucasian people recognizing that in themselves would change minds. Or maybe I’m playing semantical games with myself as this book has pulled me deep into my own navel gazing retrospection.

I read this and I realize that we would be such a disappointment to Martin Luther King.
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Last Page Sound:
Not enough has changed. Too much one step forward and two steps back in race relations in America.

Editorial Assessment:
Essential should have been boiled and distilled down further.

Knee Jerk Reaction:
Glad I read it.
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Eis ai um homem que soube combater o bom combate. Ele foi muito mais do que uma figura monolitica da luta pelos direitos humanos. Foi um pastor, teologo, diplomata, marido e pai exemplar. ( )

A Testament of Hope is indispensible for a complete understanding of MLK Jr. the man. He was so much more than a monolithic figure of the Civil Rights movement. He was a pastor, theologian, philosopher, diplomat, husband, and father. A Testament of Hope helps the reader to grasp the multifaceted life of this icon of the twentieth century. This book lets the reader into the very human life of MLK Jr. Nowhere have I discovered a more cogent explanation of passive resistance than in the various speeches and essays contained in this book. If you are engaged in the struggle for civil rights or if you seek to better understand modern humanity more completely add this book to your library and consult it often. ( )

Really hard to get through all at once--I finally had to take a break for a few weeks and read something else, and then come back to this. It's so inspiring, reading this speeches. But then you compare this ideal world of King's to this one, and you are disappointed. You don't realize how far from this ideal we are until you read about it non-stop for a month. ( )