MartinLutherKingJr.
BythetimetheMontgomeryImprovementAssociationchosethe 26-year-oldMartinLutherKingJr. asitsleader, thehours-oldbusboycottbytheblackcitizensofMontgomery, Alabama, wasalreadyanoverwhelmingsuccess. KingwouldlaterwritethathisunanticipatedcalltoleadershiphappenedsoquicklythatIdidnothavetimetothinkinthrough. ItisprobablethatifIhad, Iwouldhavedeclinedthenomination.
Althoughpressreportsatthetimefocusedonhisinspiringoratory, Kingwasactuallyareluctantleaderofamovementinitiatedbyothers. Hissubsequentwritingsandprivatecorrespondencerevealmanwhoseinnerdoubtssharplycontrastwithhispublicpersona. Intheearlydaysofhisinvolvement, Kingwastroubledbytelephonethreats, discordwithintheblackcommunityandMontgomerysgettoughpolicy, towhichkingattributedhisjailingonaminortrafficviolation. Onenight, asheconsideredwaystomoveoutofthepicturewithoutappearingacoward, hebegantoprayaloudand, atthatmoment, experiencedthepresenceoftheGodasIhadneverexperiencedHimbefore.
Hewouldlateradmitthatwhentheboycottbegan, hewasnotyetfirmlycommittedtoGandhianprinciples. Althoughhehadbeenexposedtothoseteachingsincollege, hehadremainedskeptical. Ithoughttheonlywaywecouldsolveourproblemofsegregationwasanarmedrevolt, herecalled. IfeltthattheChristianethicoflovewasconfinedtoindividualrelationships.
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