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

Editorial Reviews

Book Description: On April 4, 1968, at 6:01 PM, while he was standing on a balcony at a Memphis hotel, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and fatally wounded. Only hours earlier King–the prophet for racial and economic justice in America–ended his final 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.”

Acclaimed public intellectual and best-selling author Michael Eric Dyson uses the fortieth anniversary of King’s assassination as the occasion for a provocative and fresh examination of how King fought, and faced, his own death, and we should use his death and legacy. Dyson also uses this landmark anniversary as the starting point for a comprehensive reevaluation of the fate of Black America over the four decades that followed King’s death. Dyson ambitiously investigates the ways in which African-Americans have in fact made it to the Promised Land of which King spoke, while shining a bright light on the ways in which the nation has faltered in the quest for racial justice. He also probes the virtues and flaws of charismatic black leadership that has followed in King’s wake, from Jesse Jackson to Barack Obama.

Always engaging and inspiring, April 4, 1968 celebrates the prophetic leadership of Dr. King, and challenges America to renew its commitment to his deeply moral vision.

About the Author:Michael Eric Dyson, named by Ebony as one of the hundred most influential black Americans, is the author of sixteen books, including Holler if You Hear Me, Is Bill Cosby Right? and I May Not Get There With You: The True Martin Luther King Jr. He is currently University Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Other Books By Michael Eric Dyson

Popularity: 31% [?]

Related Posts

• October 18, 2008 -- Eric Dyson: Time for whites to embrace a worthy black presidential candidate (0)
• May 16, 2008 -- ‘Republican’ Hate Crimes - An Anthology (0)
• May 8, 2008 -- The Clintons and Racism: What goes around comes around! (0)
• September 17, 2008 -- 08 Campaign Held Hostage By McCain’s ‘Stealth Weapon’ — RACISM (2)
• July 8, 2008 -- Frederick Douglass: ‘The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro’ (0)
• June 14, 2008 -- Republican - Hate Radio and TV In America (0)
• May 17, 2008 -- Obama on Hit List (0)
• May 16, 2008 -- Stuck in the 1800’s — Racist, Ignorant West Virginians (0)
• March 25, 2008 -- On Obama - Why Black People Are Not Optimistic (0)
• October 13, 2008 -- James T. Harris — A ReTHUGliTOM Suffering From Acute ‘Negro-Negrophobia’ (0)
• October 4, 2008 -- AFL-CIO’s Richard Trumka on Racism and Obama (0)
• September 13, 2008 -- ‘Jim Crawford’ Republicans Working Hard To Keep Blacks From Voting (2)
• August 29, 2008 -- Obama: ‘The American promise has been threatened,’ by Bush and McCain (1)
• July 22, 2008 -- McCain has one foot in the ‘Latino Vote Pot,’ and the other in a Nativist ‘Snake-Pit’ (0)
• July 1, 2008 -- Joe Horn - A cold-blooded ‘Vigilante Murderer’ cleared by Texas Grand Jury (1)
• June 24, 2008 -- Bigotry ‘Impresario’ Don Imus Crosses The Line Again (0)
• June 7, 2008 -- The AfterMath of Ma. Clinton’s Loss — ‘Angry White Females’ (0)
• May 23, 2008 -- Hillary: ‘I have been hanging around hoping Obama is assassinated’ (0)
• May 17, 2008 -- Mike Huckabee’s Stupid Joke About Someone Shooting At Barack Obama (0)
• May 1, 2008 -- Wright Isn’t That Wrong, But He Has the Right (0)
• March 31, 2008 -- Black-brown divide saps political clout (0)
• March 31, 2008 -- Myth Busted: “Wright Videos Will Terrorize White ‘Working Class’ Folks!” (0)
• February 25, 2008 -- The Barack Obama Smear Photo Controversy (5)
• October 15, 2007 -- A History of Rope and Shame (0)
• October 1, 2007 -- Clarence Thomas - A ReTHUGliTOM Smothered In “Uppity Niggerdom” a.k.a “NegroPhobia Syndrome” (8)
• June 28, 2007 -- Racism and Bigotry Prevails - ReTHUGlican Senators Kill Immigration Bill (1)
• November 9, 2008 -- Barack Obama should stop this cruel racist Republican war against immigrants (0)
• November 4, 2008 -- To John McCain — ‘I Have A Dream Today!’ (1)
• October 27, 2008 -- As election day draws many blacks fear Obama’s lead is too good to be true (0)
• October 22, 2008 -- ‘Reverend Pork Chop’ Jesse Lee Peterson: ‘Most black people today are racist’ (0)