Negroes are many millions strong in this nation. And as long as we are identified apart from other members of this society, it will remain vitally important for us to be vigilant and strong. The struggle does not end. We say we want it to end, but it doesn’t go away, despite what we insist are our best efforts. America just hasn’t tried as hard as she’d like to think. Getting rid of discrimination is not that hard. Americans have to look into their own souls and find out whether they’ve been doing righteous work or just some more wasting of time. Everyone knows that answer. Some will not say it and many cannot. But all of us know. And God certainly knows, right along with every living heart on this earth. With Him, there cannot be any white lies or any other kind. He can see right on through. And there are still folks in this country who imagine they are getting away with fooling the Almighty. There is talk of peace and whispers of war. He hears all of it. We hear only part. So, who’s being fooled?
A dozen years after his death, M.L.’s work is not nearly done. In fact, it seemed more often than not the country was slipping backward, becoming separate all over again. Atlanta’s high schools are all but segregated, just the way they had been as we entered the 1960s, a full six years after the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. the Board of Education. And that “season of suffering” M.L. described returns to us more and more, it seems.
The young Kings, I’m proud to say, are carrying on many of the traditions established by their elders. A.D.’s daughter Alveda has been elected to the Georgia state legislature and plans a life in politics. Derek, her younger brother, has finished his ministerial studies and will have a pastorate soon. Marty III, M.L.’s boy, is still pondering a church career, while working in Atlanta. His sister Yolanda is in New York, beginning an effort to become an actress. The other grandchildren are in school, though Al has dropped out of college to work. I love them all so much, just as I do my three great-grandchildren, Alveda’s youngsters, Jarrett Ellis, Eddie Beal III, and Darlene Ruth Celeste Beal.
The King family remains close. We are going on ahead too. We all love life so much and glory in it as we glory in our God.
I am asked why I continue to believe in nonviolence, and I answer that it remains not one of the ways but the only way to victory over the forces of evil in this country. If we live for a sense of oneness, we will not have time for the violence of revenge or oppression. We have outlived war as man once knew it; Vietnam should have shown us that. We are left, whether anyone likes it or not, to work for world peace as the only insurance of our survival through this century.
And whoever carries this word must make the word flesh by living out the terms of sermons and prayers so that people can see love as an action. For so many older people, it is already—and this is extremely unfortunate—too late. Young people will have to create a world citizen, unrestricted by color, who can hope realistically for a better day. As long as an idea lives, we are all still alive. For myself, I continue to look toward a day when we shall have one world and one people, when far will not be far and long will not be long, when we live together, neither black nor white, but one. . . .
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Through the grace of God, I have been granted a full, rewarding, and long life. Not in my most extravagant dreams, as I walked behind the plow or curried the mules in Stockbridge, Georgia, where I was born and spent the first nineteen years of my life, did I ever envision myself having the vast body of experience which I have had during my lifetime.
The South of my boyhood and most of my early life created conditions in which many black people and white people were fatally crushed. Why the God who led Moses and the children of Israel through the Red Sea, and David against Goliath, enfolded me in His care these eighty-odd years, I cannot answer, but I do know:
I love the Lord,
He heard my cry, and pitied every groan;
As long as troubles shall arise, I’ll hasten to His throne.
My life has been chronicled for history because I hope and pray that it will be an inspiration to the young people who read it not to be overwhelmed by the odds against them, and I offer my fervent prayers that succeeding generations will not have to struggle to prove to themselves and to this great nation of ours their human worth, as I have had to struggle to prove mine.
I have been enormously supported by persons known and unknown, from around the world, during the tragic times which I have faced. I am indebted to each one of them. I have also been greatly supported and encircled in love during the moments of unspeakable joy which have come to my life. It would be impossible to reveal the names of everyone who has encouraged me and enabled me to bring this work to its completion. However, I am compelled to mention the persons whose names follow.
Miss Lillian D. Watkins, who for more than thirty years served as my secretary and financial secretary for Ebenezer. Miss Watkins is a dedicated churchwoman, and a friend to our family for whom the hour was never too dark if we needed her. Though now retired from Ebenezer, Miss Watkins continues to work with me, as do Mrs. Sarah Reed and Mrs. Bernice Thompson, the current secretaries at Ebenezer, who willingly give their assistance whenever it is required. Mrs. Melinda K. O’Neal shares her secretarial and clerical skills on a part-time basis with me.
Mr. Felton Sims, though carrying a full schedule as the custodian of Ebenezer, is never to busy to “run” me wherever I need to go, or run interference through the crowds that occasionally catch me in the office at the church.
Mrs. Esther Smith, a multi-talented lady whose limitless dedication to Ebenezer and love for our family has made her an invaluable ally for more than thirty years. Her unruffled disposition and thorough knowledge of the Baptist Church made her a key figure in the transition from my pastorate to that of the Reverend Joseph L. Roberts, Jr.
My grandchildren and my grandson-in-law, Dr. Eddie Clifford Beal, have been immense sources of comfort to me as they have graciously consented to perform small chores at my home and to serve as drivers and traveling companions.
Mrs. Rosa Sturgis, her daughter Deborah, and the Reverend Fred C. Bennette have assisted me in many ways.
Since the passing of my wife, I have learned to count very heavily on Mrs. Watha Walker, who was our housekeeper before Bunch was killed, and who has continued to work as she did during my wife’s lifetime to insure that my home remains orderly and meals are served on time.
My sister Woodie, who is married to an exceptionally fine person, Mr. Jerome “Jerry” Brown, who has never denied her request to return to Atlanta and aid me in my distress. She lived with me for almost a year following my wife’s death, and Jerry often visits to help where he can.
The Reverend Joseph L. Roberts, Jr., my pastor and successor at Ebenezer, has been like a son to me, and made my retirement from the active pastorate less difficult than it would have been had his sensitivities not been as sharp as they are. I am satisfied that what we built, in every respect, over the years is in good hands.
Dr. E. A. Jones, one of my Morehouse College professors, who has now retired from the French Department of Morehouse, wrote the first draft of a book about me. I am indebted to him for the time, energy, and love that he put into a work on one whose first days in the French classes were an enormous challenge to Dr. Jones.
Clayton Riley, who assisted me in writing this book.
Ms. Joan Daves, my literary agent, who has shared many pains and pleasures with our family and has shown great patience and business acumen, proving that she is a master of her craft.
Mr. Robert Bender of William Morrow and Company displayed infinite understanding of the complexity involved in the completion of this work.
Mrs. Bernita D. Bennette, another multi-talented person who has been very close to us for more than a decade. Her deep interest in history and research, coupled with her love for and interest in our family, have made her very knowledgeable about the Kings, making her a valuable asset in the completion of my autobiography.
My daughters-in-law, Coretta and Naomi
, have been most cooperative and supportive in countless ways as I have worked on my story. They have made it possible to finish many things which would have not been done as they served as resource persons and strong supporters in this endeavor.
My son-in-law, Isaac Farris, Sr., has been of enormous help and strength from the first days of this writing effort to its completion. He has unselfishly shared his wife with me because he knew she was indispensable to me.
The fine, peerless members of Ebenezer Baptist Church, without whose belief in me and commitment to the quest for freedom, my own journey would have been more difficult. Ebenezians are numbered among God’s most special people, and I am happy that we walked together for nearly fifty years.
Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, my good friend of several decades, who read the galleys and accepted the task of writing the Foreword to this book.
The Honorable Andrew J. Young, another tried and true friend, has read the galleys and expressed his thoughts in the Introduction.
And my daughter, Christine, my true support. Quiet, but highly effective, she has been with me through each step of the project, and her critical judgments have been invaluable because her acute perception and probing nature enabled her to read the manuscript and interpret it in a way that no one else could have.
Notwithstanding the assistance that I have received, I know that the final responsibility for this book is mine, and I accept it unreservedly.
—MARTIN LUTHER KING, SR.
Atlanta, Georgia
1980
INDEX
Please note that page numbers are not accurate for the e-book edition.
Abernathy, Juanita, 173
Abernathy, Ralph, 155, 173
Abram, Morris, 157
African Methodist Episcopal Church of Georgia, 154, 187
Allen, Ivan, 166
“Appeal for Human Rights, An,” 146
Archer, Dr. Samuel Howard, 123
Atlanta, Georgia
black voters in (1946–1947), 105, 106–7
black-white coalition in, 101–2, 116, 117–18, 119–20, 142
as capital of the South, 129
Civil Rights Movement and, 129–30, 135, 136–43
aids in city’s growth, 160
COAHR’s statement in “An Appeal for Human Rights,” 146
disagreement over main issues, 148
golf courses integrated, 136, 137
nonviolent, direct-action plans, 145–49
public buses integrated, 137–38, 142
public schools integrated, 142–43, 149–50
sit-in demonstrations, 145, 149
student demonstrations in, 140, 142–53, 146, 149
white businessmen’s action, 141–42, 149
white clergymen and, 142
the Depression in, 80, 83–84, 96
education for blacks (1920), 10, 91
funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr., 173
growth of black business community, 109
Hartsfield and, 104–5, 106, 107, 116, 125, 129, 137, 142, 144, 149, 156, 164
moral climate of, 103–6
police force integrated (1948), 107
political climate of, 129–30
race riot in (1906), 75
as the South’s business center, 102–3, 129
struggle for unification, 115–18
teachers’ pay scale equalized, 107–8
Atlanta Board of Education, 108, 118–19
Atlanta Civic League, 76
Atlanta Constitution, 146
Atlanta Daily World, 102, 106, 109, 145, 146
Atlanta Federal Savings Bank, 83
Atlanta Journal, 146
Atlanta Life Insurance Company, 108, 109
Atlanta Missionary Baptist Association, 5
Atlanta Transit, 137
Atlanta University, 76, 143, 145–46, 154
Atlanta University Complex, 107
Atlanta Urban League, 105, 106–7
Atlanta Voters’ League, 115, 117, 121, 125, 143, 166
Auburn Avenue (Atlanta), 109
Baptist Church, rural, tradition of, 19
Barber, Naomi, see King, Naomi Barber
Beal, Alveda King, 197
Beal, Darlene Ruth Celeste, 197
Beal, Eddie III, 197
Beal, Jarrett Ellis, 197
Bible, the, 15, 46, 94, 130, 181
Bill of Rights, 140
Birmingham, Alabama, 160
racial violence in, 167
Bond, Julian, 145, 160
Booker T. Washington High School, 91–92
Borders, William Holmes, 138, 139
Boston University, 128, 135
Bracey, T. L., 5, 7, 8
Bright Hope Baptist Church, 187
Brown v. the Board of Education, 161
Bryant, Peter James, 71
Bryant Preparatory School, 5, 10–12, 53, 54, 55, 60, 67, 114, 196
Carter, Jimmy, 193–96
Carter, Rosalynn, 185
Chaney, Bertha, 46–47
Chaney, Wilson, 46–47
Chenault, Marcus, 191
Citizen’s Trust, 154
Civil Rights Movement
Atlanta and, 129–30, 135, 136–43
aids in city’s growth, 160
COAHR’s statement in “An Appeal for Human Rights,” 146
disagreement over main issues, 148
golf courses integrated, 136, 137
nonviolent, direct-action plans, 145–49
public buses integrated, 137–38, 142
public schools integrated, 142–43, 149–50
sit-in demonstrations, 145, 149
student demonstrations in, 140, 142–53, 146, 149
white businessmen’s action, 141–42, 149
white clergymen and, 142
black churches part in formation of, 76–78
blacks’ concern as to purpose of, 162
church leaders’ inaction and, 167–68
Ebenezer Baptist Church and, 91, 148
Georgia’s government’s resistance to, 144
Greensboro’s sit-in demonstrations, 142, 143, 145
King (A. D.) and, 165
nonviolent protests and arrest of, 156
King (M. L., Jr.) and, 165
concern over assassination plots, 169–70
disagreement on tactics with other leaders, 160–61
Hoover’s campaign to destroy leadership of, 167
Kennedy (John) and, 158
Kennedy (Robert) and, 158
Memphis sanitation workers’ strike, 168, 171
Montgomery Bus Boycott and, 135, 151, 152–53
nonviolent protests and arrest of, 156
Reidsville prison sentence of, 157–59
SCLC and, 151, 160–61
sense of mission in, 170
speaks out on importance of student demonstrations, 150
King (M. L., Sr.) and
Atlanta’s black-white coalition and, 101–2
as early proponent of, 87–88
on importance of boycotts, 136–37
leads protest of black schoolteachers, 95–97
organizes voting-rights march, 90–93
pickets City Hall over segregated facilities, 108
turmoil of, 167
violence during, 166–67
young people active in, 160
Civil War, 129
Clayton, Charles, 55–56, 58–59
Columbia University Teachers College, 118–19
Committee on Appeal for Human Rights (COAHR), 143–44, 146, 148
Cook, Eugene, 144
Cooper, Eddie, 6, 7, 8
Cornerstone Baptist Church, 70
Cotton Trade, 27, 31, 32, 34–35
Crawford, Mrs. Nannien, 171
Crozer Seminary, 128
Democratic National Convention (1976), 194–95
Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, 135, 188, 190
Dobbs, John Wesley, 101–2, 117, 166
Du Bois, W.
E. B., 76
Ebenezer Baptist Church, 5, 6, 12, 61, 63, 64, 71–72, 77, 158, 172
King (A. D.) and, 166
as co-pastor, 174
King (Alberta Williams) and
memorial service for, 185
murder of, 181–83
role in husband’s pastorate, 83, 88, 171, 187
King (M. L., Jr.) and
as co-pastor, 151, 166
trial sermon preached at, 124
King (M. L., Sr.) and
active in Civil Rights Movement, 91, 148
becomes pastor of, 82–85
congregation’s consolation after wife’s murder, 184
financial backing for black teachers’ pay scale fight, 107
“Misplaced Emphasis” sermon, 121
new church built, 109
retires as pastor, 187, 191
sermon style of, 177
wife’s role in pastorate, 83, 88, 171, 187
works to strengthen congregation, 83–84, 86, 87–88
Roberts and, 187, 192
Williams and, 5, 6, 12, 74–75, 80
Evers, Medgar, 167
Farris, Angela Christine, 165
Farris, Christine King, 73–74, 80, 109–11, 113, 127, 176, 178, 182, 184
children of, 164–65
education of, 117–18, 126
King (Coretta) and, 185
King (M. L., Jr.) and, 172–73, 185
marriage of, 163–64
racial problems of becoming a teacher in Atlanta, 118–19, 120–21
strong sense of family responsibility, 185–86
teaching career of, 163
Farris, Isaac Newton, 163–64, 164, 172–73, 176
Farris, Isaac Newton, Jr., 164–65
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 167
Federal District Court (Atlanta), 108
Floyd Chapel, 19, 29, 37
Gandhi, Mahatma, 156
Gandhi Peace Foundation, 155
Georgia
education for blacks (1920), 10
rural, racism in, 20–28, 32–35, 43–45
state government’s resistance to Civil Rights Movement, 144
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