What if Somebody Had Told MLK He Couldn’t Lead?

January 22, 2008 | Inspiration, Leaders of Color, Leadership

I spent some of the long weekend reflecting on the life of Martin Luther King, watching some of the Book TV programs and the full version of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on YouTube:

Now you know me. I started to wonder what would have happened if somebody had told MLK he was too young to lead. Let’s run it back. MLK became an activist at the age of 26, when he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Then he helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and served as its first president when he was only 28. Now he was a powerful presence, to be sure, but what if no one had trusted him to lead them or followed him through all the marches that helped this country achieve racial equality?

What if, instead of putting Martin up as a viable leader of the boycott that night at a prayer meeting, the older community leaders had said: “Look, Martin. Slow your roll, okay. You gotta pay your dues before you can lead this important march for us. You’re just a kid, for crying out loud!”

Oh now, dear reader, you will say, well it was different back then. Civil rights was an urgent topic that required a different kind of leadership. To which I would encourage you to look around at our broken country, here in 2008, and tell me if you don’t think MLK’s dream has not been fully realized. In our communities, there is still so much poverty and disenfranchisement and racism, that we have a lot of work to do and need a lot of leaders to step up and do it. No matter how old or young you are.

The work of social change takes dreamers who have the courage to make it a reality. Needless to say, we need more leaders in our communities with the spirit of MLK. We need leaders who aren’t just serving enough kids to get that next government grant. Or “leaders” who put their ego above their organization’s mission. We need the kinds of leaders who will agree with the words in MLK’s speech:

We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

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Tags: Inspiration, Leaders of Color, Leadership

Michigan Lead Generation

Dr. King was a phenomenon. Thank you for sharing your interesting viewpoints.
jacqui

I'm reading a great book, quite long, but worth it. It's an indepth look at Martin's life and the civil rights movement as a whole. It's called Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King Jr and the Southern Christine Leaders Conference. I think you all would enjoy it very much

http://www.amazon.com/Bearing-Cross-Christian-Leadership-Conference/dp/0688166326
Rosetta Thurman

@Virginia - You hit the nail on the head with, "All change agents are told they can't, but what makes them succeed is they know they can." I guess we would have been in a very different situation if MLK hadn't pressed on despite the naysayers. I'd say today's leaders then need the courage to step out AND to keep hanging out there on that limb even when folks try to bring you back!

@Robert - Great story about your son!
robert guinto

My son is 6 years old and he sums an outcome due to MLK.

He learned last week about MLK in school. He and his brother are adopted. He is white and his brother asian.

He announced on friday that because of MLK he can eat in a resturant with his brother.

Need I say more!
Virginia

Rosetta:

Great article. As it turns out Dr. King was told he couldn't lead and indeed the community leaders did tell him to slow his roll. He moved forward anyway. He almost did not get to make his I Have a Dream speech, but Fannie Lou Hamer insisted he be allowed to speak. He was the last speaker and limited to about 3 minutes.

All change agents are told they can't, but what makes them succeed is they know they can.
Rosetta Thurman

@Antonette - Now you've got me wondering. The movement was all about rights for the people, and MLK's "followers" were deeply engaged in the process to achieve equality in this country, which allowed the marches to WORK. They weren't satisfied then, but I wonder if we've gotten complacent now?

@Michele - Your comment makes me think that in these times, we very much NEED a different kind of leader to bring the issues and causes to light in a different kind of way.

@Rebecca - :) yes I DO like Obama, and his MLK speech was pretty stunning. I'm hoping against hope that he has the courage to make his dream reality for a new America.
Rebecca / Modite.com

I don't know whether or not you like Barack Obama, but he gave a great MLK speech on Sunday. I watched MLK's speech and Obama's multiple times these past couple days :)

I linked to the Obama video under my name.

Great post!
Ray Chung

Thank you for this piece!

You nailed it right on!

"The work of social change takes dreamers who have the courage to make it a reality." (May I add, young or old!)
Michele

A gorgeous thought piece, Rosetta! You make two wonderful points--the first about leadership and age, but the second goes to Antonette's point that many people don't seem to realize how far we still have to go. In terms of civil rights, I see a country where enough changed that the most visible signs of racism disappeared, but that puts us in a vastly more dangerous place because now people can hide and say that racism is gone, when it most definitely isn't. It's just gone underground where it's harder to see and to fight. I know that wasn't your main point, but it's still a part of the larger picture.

Thanks for this great piece!
Antonette

You make an interesting point about leadership in this piece. Then as I got to the end, I thought what if it is more about followers?

There are quite a few people who think that we've come quite a ways. They look around their neighborhoods and see diversity in color, age, and even sexuality. So, they are wondering, in those infamous words, "Why can't we all just get along?"

Thanks for this thought provoking piece. I'm going to have to pose this one to a few friends and send them back here to post their thoughts.