The Autobiography of Martin Luther King: Chapter 4-6

​“I'm not going to put my ultimate faith in the little gods that can be destroyed in an atomic age, but in the God who has been our help in ages past, and our hope for years to come, and our shelter in the time of the storm, and our eternal home. That's the God that I'm putting my ultimate faith in….The God that I'm talking about this morning is the God of the universe and the God that will last through the ages. If we are to go forward this morning, we've got to look back and find that God. That is the God that demands and commands our ultimate allegiance.” (Pg. 32)

This quote is a great look at King's faith in God. Too many times we overlook the fact that he was a pastor and a preacher. A man with a deep upbringing in the church and a personal relationship with God. His entire involvement in the Civil Rights Movement stemmed from his biblical belief and faith in God. He moved forward in his work because he felt that it was God's will for his life.

“The Negro who experiences bitter and agonizing circumstances as a result of some ungodly white person is tempted to look upon all white person as evil, if he fails to look beyond his circumstances. But the minute he looks beyond his circumstances and sees the whole situation, he discovers that some of the most implacable and vehement advocates of racial equally are consecrated white persons.” (Pg. 48)

When King spoke these words in 1955 at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church there had to be a trace of personal discovery here due to the fact that he faced this choice early in his life. Over the years he has seen the error of his ways and has grown to be able to confidently make this statement.

“Many Negros felt that integration could come only through legislation and court action-the chief emphases of the NAACP. Many white people felt that integration could come only through education-the chief emphases of the Council on Human Relations……On the contrary, I felt that both approaches were necessary. Through education we seek to change attitudes and internal feelings (Prejudice, hate, etc.); through legislation and court order we seek to to regulate behavior.” (Pg 51)

The first half of this statement is background. I really focused on the second half. I believe that it is important for us as people to tackle injustice from two points of view; from the educational side, in order to educate the next generation on the the views and errors of their predecessors. Also, we must bring change through the establishment of new laws. I believe this is still an affective methods to conquer today's challenges in our society and in our schools.