The Common Good
January 2004

An Escalation of Humanity

by Stewart Burns | January 2004






Sojourners: Why do we need another book on King?


There have been a number of excellent books about King, but they tend to present certain dimensions of his life and leadership without showing the integrated whole. I attempt to tie together King's civil rights and human rights leadership with his fundamental spiritual journey.

Sojourners: What could today's activists learn from King?

Burns: He clearly escalated his militancy in the last year of his life—he talked about the need to do massive civil disobedience that would dislocate the functioning of American cities. But as he became increasingly militant in his tactics, he also escalated his humanity. He became more and more fiercely dedicated to nonviolent tactics.

It's rather phenomenal to see how he could be so passionately committed to eliminating poverty, his final great crusade, yet at the same time be almost a fanatic about the need to adhere to nonviolence principles. Many activists today are doing magnificent things in terms of the global justice movement, very creative nonviolent actions. But they're not escalating their human concern for their adversary. They're escalating their commitment to justice, but not their compassion. King was a remarkable example of doing both at once.


Like what you're reading? Get Sojourners E-Mail updates!

Sojourners Comment Community Covenant




