April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Death and How It Changed America

by Michael Eric Dyson Narrated by Michael Eric Dyson

Overview

On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr., the prophet for racial and economic justice in America, was fatally shot while standing on the balcony of a Memphis hotel. Only hours earlier, he had ended his final public speech with the words, “I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we as a people will get to the Promised Land.” In this impactful book, acclaimed public intellectual Michael Eric Dyson offers a comprehensive reevaluation of the fate of America, specifically Black America, since that date. Ambitiously and controversially, he investigates the ways in which we as a people have made it to that Promised Land King spoke of, and the many areas in which we still have a long way to go. April 4, 1968 takes a sweeping view of King's death, remembering all the toil, triumph, and tribulation that led to that fateful date while anticipating the ways in which King's legacy will affect the future of this country.

This celebration of King's leadership challenges America to renew its commitment to his vision.

Editorial Reviews

On the evening of April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot dead as he stood on the balcony of a Memphis motel. The assassination of the nation's prominent civil rights activist sparked worldwide mourning and outrage. Public intellectual Michael Eric Dyson takes the occasion of the upcoming 40th anniversary of this tragic event to ruminate on the Promised Land that King envisaged in his last days; how far we have come and how far we have yet to go.

Library Journal

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, Dyson (sociology, Georgetown Univ.; I May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King Jr.) further evaluates the civil rights martyr and his legacy. His previous work on King focused on King's hijacked radical legacy. Here, in his 16th book, he mainly focuses on how King's vision continues to influence how blacks measure the promise and fulfillment of the Christian and civic equality that he preached. Dyson shows how King's bold and charismatic prophecy left a daunting model for any aspiring black leader to live up to. Examining Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Barack Obama, Dyson probes the deep shadow in which these leaders operate as he reiterates the continued resonance of King's productive martyrdom and his call for transformative social justice and racial redemption. Thoughtful and provocative, this book brings to bear Dyson's characteristic challenge to both scholars and general readers to see black life in America as it is and to move forward to improve it-and America. Recommended for collections on black history or leadership, civil rights, social justice, or contemporary America.
—Thomas J. Davis

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169834307
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	03/31/2008
Edition description:	Unabridged

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