Why We Can't Wait

Rating:
Summary: Not much more than a glorified history lesson.
Review: Although this book gives a good look into what went on during the beginning of this struggle for freedom, there is too much generalizing, simple retelling of facts, and logical conclusions for my taste. Come on man, where's the feeling?

Rating:
Summary: The quintessential Civil Rights document
Review: At first, I read this book for an AP U.S. History Class. After reading it, though, I felt the need to read it again, and a third time. You can't really get the true spirit and deep meaning behind the book after reading it only once. This work is one of the most powerful I have ever read, and the movement that inspired it is one of the most interesting in the History of the United States. Consider it your civil duty to absorb this timeless piece of Dr. Martin Luther King's fight for freedom. You will not regret it.

Rating:
Summary: Insider's guide to Birmingham and The March on Washington
Review: Dr. King in this book, gives the background on the successful demonstrations in Birmingham and The 1963 March on Washington. (My father was at that march). Martin gives the insights on his Non -violent Direct Action approach and how it worked in Birmingham. He also explains what he meant in his I have a dream speech. Those who read this book will see that Dr. King favored a approach to bring African-Americans in the Mainstream that is similiar to Affirmative Action. Dr. King's mistakes were he assumed the whites in the North would favor his approach when he came to their neighborhood (Chicago 1966)and that those who favored ending segregation would support spending government money to help poor Blacks. All Americans should read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Insider's guide to Birmingham and The March on Washington
Review: Dr. King in this book, gives the background on the successful demonstrations in Birmingham and The 1963 March on Washington. (My father was at that march). Martin gives the insights on his Non -violent Direct Action approach and how it worked in Birmingham. He also explains what he meant in his I have a dream speech. Those who read this book will see that Dr. King favored a approach to bring African-Americans in the Mainstream that is similiar to Affirmative Action. Dr. King's mistakes were he assumed the whites in the North would favor his approach when he came to their neighborhood (Chicago 1966)and that those who favored ending segregation would support spending government money to help poor Blacks. All Americans should read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Addresses relevant issues of today for all people.
Review: Dr. King shows that his cause is a human cause. It seemed to address all those that may not have been involved with his movement and how necessary and deliberate it was. He shows the courage behind the flame for the rights of all people. I consider it one of the most inspiring books I have ever read.

Rating:
Summary: Every American should read this
Review: Dr. King's "Why We Can't Wait" is a remarkable book. The chapter containing the famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is one of the great political, religious and social works humanity has ever produced. If you read nothing else about the civil rights movement, or about Martin Luther King, this letter will show you why it was the right thing to do, why he won a Nobel Peace Prize, and why America (and the world) is a better place because King lived.

Every American should read two documents: The Constitution and "The Letter from Birmingham Jail."

Rating:
Summary: Every American should read this
Review: Dr. King's "Why We Can't Wait" is a remarkable book. The chapter containing the famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is one of the great political, religious and social works humanity has ever produced. If you read nothing else about the civil rights movement, or about Martin Luther King, this letter will show you why it was the right thing to do, why he won a Nobel Peace Prize, and why America (and the world) is a better place because King lived.

Every American should read two documents: The Constitution and "The Letter from Birmingham Jail."

Rating:
Summary: Non-violent is the way
Review: I am greatly impressed with the words that Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr (1929-68) wrote in this report of the civil rights movement during the campaign of 1963. "Why We Can't Wait" is a handbook for Non-Violent Direct Action (NVDA). Dr King, as the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) exemplifies the power of organised religion when it addresses social ills. Most of religion is too other-worldly to be any earthly good. Dr King laments his disappointment at hearing ministers say, "those are social issues with which the gospel has no real concern." Fortunately, for all of us, Dr King led his ministry in a different direction. This book is an outline for understanding the practice of NVDA. Dr King begins by explaining that the Negro Revolution of 1963 was sparked by factors which included (a) slow pace of school desegregation (b) disappointment with US political system (c) the success of minorities around the globe to attain political power and (d) 100 years had passed since the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation without any profound affect. Dr King then reports on the entire campaign of desegregation as it was staged in one of the most segregated cities of the US. The second and more important theme, from my point of view, of this book is why this revolution took place in cities such as Birmingham, Alabama within the context of NVDA. Dr King credits the power of the church to focus the energy of a frustrated, angry and resentful people as the reason for the success of NVDA. Dr King reports that "every volunteer was required to sign a commitment card that read" as its first of 10 commandments : "MEDITATE daily on the teachings and life of Jesus." In addition to the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr, it was ministers who were leading the people. Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights; Reverend James Lawson, expelled from Vanderbilt University for civi-rights work; Reverend James Bevel, an experienced leader of many campaigns; Reverend Bernard Lee, leader of the student movement at Alabama State College; Reveren Andrew Young, and many more religious leaders who rolled up their sleeves and joined the fight. Regretably, not all leaders of organised religion joined in, and "Letter From Birmingham Jail" is Dr King's response. If you are interested in NVDA and the positive role which organised religion can play in social change, this book will be interesting to you.

Rating:
Summary: Non-Violent Direct Action
Review: I am greatly impressed with the words that Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr (1929-68) wrote in this report of the civil rights movement during the campaign of 1963. "Why We Can't Wait" is a handbook for Non-Violent Direct Action (NVDA). Dr King, as the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) exemplifies the power of organised religion when it addresses social ills. Most of religion is too other-worldly to be any earthly good. Dr King laments his disappointment at hearing ministers say, "those are social issues with which the gospel has no real concern." Fortunately, for all of us, Dr King led his ministry in a different direction. This book is an outline for understanding the practice of NVDA. Dr King begins by explaining that the Negro Revolution of 1963 was sparked by factors which included (a) slow pace of school desegregation (b) disappointment with US political system (c) the success of minorities around the globe to attain political power and (d) 100 years had passed since the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation without any profound affect. Dr King then reports on the entire campaign of desegregation as it was staged in one of the most segregated cities of the US. The second and more important theme, from my point of view, of this book is why this revolution took place in cities such as Birmingham, Alabama within the context of NVDA. Dr King credits the power of the church to focus the energy of a frustrated, angry and resentful people as the reason for the success of NVDA. Dr King reports that "every volunteer was required to sign a commitment card that read" as its first of 10 commandments : "MEDITATE daily on the teachings and life of Jesus." In addition to the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr, it was ministers who were leading the people. Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights; Reverend James Lawson, expelled from Vanderbilt University for civi-rights work; Reverend James Bevel, an experienced leader of many campaigns; Reverend Bernard Lee, leader of the student movement at Alabama State College; Reveren Andrew Young, and many more religious leaders who rolled up their sleeves and joined the fight. Regretably, not all leaders of organised religion joined in, and "Letter From Birmingham Jail" is Dr King's response. If you are interested in NVDA and the positive role which organised religion can play in social change, this book will be interesting to you.

Rating:
Summary: An eye-opener for my generation
Review: I chose to read this book originally as part of a high school assignment, and am very glad that I did so. As a white male born in 1980 who grew up in a predominately white area, I had a hard time understanding why race seems to be such a big issue in this country. As I saw it, slavery happened a long time ago and bigots were idiots to be ignored until they all died off. Why all this talk of discrimination and affirmative action? Why all the pleas for acceptance and peace?

This book came as a slap to the face of my preconceived notions. I realized suddenly that many of the men and women I see every day lived during that time, only a few decades ago, when white people didn't let black people drink from the same water fountains, and when blacks could be beaten and abused in the streets for daring to ask for equal treatment. I had heard of this before, but it had always seemed in the distant past. I was repeatedly astonished that such things could have happened in America.

My views took a new spin. Suddenly, King's arguments for affirmative action sounded reasonable. How could a black man "pull himself up by his bootstraps" if he has no shoes? How could the children of poor blacks in the south go to college, even if they were allowed to, when their parents couldn't afford the tuition? While I still do not like the idea of racial discrimination of any kind, I now see that there is reason to try to tip the scales back a little, at least for a generation or two.

Above all, I was surprised at how Godly a man King was. When I read the statements that his protestors were required to live by, such as "I will pray for those who persecute me," and "I will not strike back in anger," I realized that these people had more spiritual courage in fighting for what was right than I could muster in myself. They were moved by the notion that Christians must love one another regardless of race, and were determined to change society, not in bloody revolution, but by their unity in spirit, by their obvious displays of love, and by the power of prayer.

This is a moving book and one that opened my eyes. I recommend it highly for anyone, especially those of us born too late to understand the civil rights movement and the horrors that prompted it firsthand.