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The Radical King (King Legacy)

A revealing collection that restores Dr. King as being every bit as radical as Malcolm X“The radical King was a democratic socialist who sided with poor and working people in the class struggle taking place in capitalist societies. . . . The response of the radical King to our catastrophic moment can be put in one word: revolution—a revolution in our priorities, a reevaluation of our values, a reinvigoration of our public life, and a fundamental transformation of our way of thinking and living that promotes a transfer of power from oligarchs and plutocrats to everyday people and ordinary citizens. . . . Could it be that we know so little of the radical King because such courage defies our market-driven world?” —Cornel West, from the Introduction Every year, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is celebrated as one of the greatest orators in US history, an ambassador for nonviolence who became perhaps the most recognizable leader of the civil rights movement. But after more than forty years, few people appreciate how truly radical he was. Arranged thematically in four parts, The Radical King includes twenty-three selections, curated and introduced by Dr. Cornel West, that illustrate King’s revolutionary vision, underscoring his identification with the poor, his unapologetic opposition to the Vietnam War, and his crusade against global imperialism. As West writes, “Although much of America did not know the radical King—and too few know today—the FBI and US government did. They called him ‘the most dangerous man in America.’ . . . This book unearths a radical King that we can no longer sanitize.”From the Hardcover edition.

Series: King Legacy (Book 11)

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Beacon Press (January 12, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0807034525

ISBN-13: 978-0807034521

Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches

Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #193,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #125 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Ideologies & Doctrines > Radicalism #137 in Books > History > Americas > United States > African Americans > History #141 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Social Activists

Most People are unaware that Martin Luther King Jr. had become radicalized at the end of his life. The Radical King, lifts the veil of years of historical silence about the Radical Martin Luther King Jr.. This book makes clear what his thoughts were during his last years.Author: Martin Luther King Jr. Edited and Introduced by: Cornel West The Radical King, Beacon Press Boston $26.95 A revealing collection that restores Dr. King as being every bit as radical as Malcolm XThere is nothing but a lack of social vision to prevent us from paying an adequate wage to every American citizen whether he be a hospital worker, laundry worker, maid, or day laborer. There is nothing except shortsightedness to prevent us from guaranteeing an annual minimum — and livable-income for every American family. — Martin Luther KingOn the back cover of this book is an excerpt of Cornel West’s introduction to the book:A Radical King We Can No Longer Sanitize“The radical King was a democratic socialist who sided with poor and working people in the class struggle taking place in capitalist societies. …. The response of the radical King to our catastrophic moment can be put in one word: revolution-a revolution in our priorities, a reevaluation of our values, a reinvigoration of our public life, and a fundamental transformation of our way of thinking and living that promotes a transfer of power from oligarchs and plutocrats to everyday people and ordinary citizens. … Could it be that we know so little of the radical King because such courage defies our market-driven world?”This book makes clear what his actual thoughtss and legacy were during his last years.The mass media has tried to hide these facts about the real Martin Luther King, for almost fifty tears. Tell now, knowledge thad only been limited to a relatively few Black Radicals and socialists. But because Cornell West and the Beacon Press have published this book, it means that these speeches are now available to the masses and this knowledge will help to theoretically arm the young emerging fighters and leaders in the struggle for freedom. — That has been demonstrated by the current struggles and demonstrations in opposition to police terrorism and for a livable wage.The publishing of this book means that the great detour into lessor evil politics (‘Vote fro Me and I’ll Set you Free’) after the assassination of Martin Luther King is over! — That the new emerging leaders have a book about real civil rights struggle roots to build anew, where the movement left off in 1968.I would highly recommend reading this book. Below are some more excepts from the book, Martin Luther Kings’s speeches speak for themselves.On the back side cover of this book, there is also a quote from The Other America,” delivered by Dr. King at the Local 1199’s “Salute to Freedom,” New York City, March 1 0, 1968:“There is another America, and that other America has a daily ugliness about it that transforms the buoyancy of hope into the fatigue of despair. … By the millions, people in the other America find themselves perishing on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity…. The great tragedy is that the nation continues in its national policy to ignore the conditions that brought the riots or the rebellions into being…. The problem with a riot is that it can always be halted by superior force, so I couldn’t advise that. On the other hand, I couldn’t advise following a path of Martin Luther King just sitting around signing statements, and writing articles condemning the rioters, or engaging in a process of timid supplications for justice. The fact is that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. It must be demanded by the oppressed — that’s the long, sometimes tragic and turbulent story of history.”On the inside cover of this book is written:“Every year, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is celebrated as one of the greatest orators in US history, an ambassador for nonviolence who became perhaps the most recognizable leader of the civil rights movement. But after more than forty years, few people appreciate how truly radical he was.Arranged thematically in four parts, The Radical King includes twenty-three selections, curated and introduced by Dr. Cornel West, that illustrate King’s revolutionary vision, underscoring his identification with the poor, his unapologetic opposition to the Vietnam War, and his crusade against global imperialism. As West writes, ‘Although much of America did not know the radical King — and too few know today — the FBI and US government did. They called him ‘the most dangerous man in America’ … This book unearths a radical King that we can no longer sanitize.’”I made similar remarks in my introduction to King’s 1967 speech, at Stanford University, The Other American, for the San Francisco Bayview Newspaper:The Jan. 15 birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be celebrated this year as America’s only ‘Black holiday’ Monday, Jan. 19. On this day, the ruling class and their mass media always feature his 1963 ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, as if he never evolved beyond that point.“During his lifetime, as a leader of civil rights movement, King was constantly hounded by the government with the most savage malice, the most furious hatred and the most unscrupulous campaigns of lies and slander. Since his death, an effort has been made to convert him into a harmless icon – to canonize him.Below is one of his last speeches, one year before his assassination, at Stanford University in April 1967 and titled the ‘The Other America.’ Here he speaks not of a dream but of the nightmarish economic condition of Black people. When he talks about ‘work-starved men searching for jobs that do not exist’ and living on a ‘lonely island of poverty surrounded by an ocean of material prosperity,’ the speech remains timely in today’s world.This book contains many of Martin Luther King’s speeches, in the years just before he was assassinated, that demonstrate how radicalized King had become, based upon his experiences in the struggle for freedom and justice.

I was given this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway and to the people at Beacon Press who gave it to me, I assure you, it will be treasured. I'm an Atlanta bred woman. Dr. King is an Atlanta bred icon. I thought I knew almost everything there was to know about the man and his legacy. The first chapter totally knocked that belief out of the running. I didn't know that the Montgomery officials tried to make the bus boycotts illegal and went about arresting the inciters. Not only do I feel more educated by the facts, but the philosophies he wrote about had to be taken in smaller chunks and contemplated. I feel my world has been enlarged. His legacy lives in me, a white woman, and a black male co-worker talking about what I read today without fear or judgment as he read over my shoulder. And through the words Dr. King left behind in books like this, we'll be able to handle the new challenges the 21st century faces, the resurgence of racism mixed with homophobia and xenophobia and a sudden passion for guns and violence on a semi-automatic scale.

There is a small torn part of me with this book. I had purchased this book and The Essential Martin Luther King Jr book within weeks of one another. Both books had a few of the same speeches. Many of the speeches found in this book are also found on the internet for free, so why buy this one?Cornel West has a focus for this book- to show how radical King's views on love were and why he lost popularity within the white and black communities. West selects certain speeches, gives an introduction of place and what to look for, and then lets the speech flow without follow up comment. What happens is the reader sees a progression of how this speech that was done 2 years earlier has been modified to be a bit stronger than before with emphasis, with focus, and with the cry for love. He gets more radical as time moves forward.

I would like to thank Martin Luther King Jr, Cornel West and Goodreads First Reads for my free copy of " The Radical King " in exchange for an honest review. Truly, what is there not to love about this book. Mr. West does an excellent job reintroducing Martin Luther King Jr. Over time facts get mixed up and stories get changed. I loved the facts. Dr. King was radical for his time. He was a true visionary. He stayed his course even though he was under extreme pressure from society, unions, politicians, and even close associates to change his views. Mr. West does an amazing job explaining the history of that era. I love this quote by Dr King " The dispossessed of this nation -he poor, both white and Negro -live in a cruelly unjust society. They must organize a revolution against that injustice, not against the lives of the persons who are their fellow citizens, but against the structures through which the society is refusing to take means which have been called for, and which are at hand, to lift the load of poverty". So true in my opinion. This book is an excellent read for everyone. It lets you get to know more about Martin Luther King Jr than just a day on a calendar.

This is a most important book, one that will be appreciated by all thoughtful, progressive people. King's writings collected here and the introductions by Cornell West reflect the full scope of Dr King's radical critique of American society and his profound commitment to nonviolence. Martin Luther King's words ring as true or perhaps more true today than when they were written.

I love reading Dr. King's own words and find the book a powerful reminder of who Dr. King was. He has been too long hijacked by right winged politicians and I find that even young children are not properly taught about his legacy. They seem to think of him as someone who has done good deeds. Dr. King has been disgracefully watered down. I read it quickly and have referred to it many times in conversation as I am a Radical Lover myself or at least trying to be the best one I can be.

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