Behind the Public Veil: The Humanness of Martin Luther King Jr.

by Lewis V. Baldwin

Overview

What was Martin Luther King Jr. really like? In this groundbreaking volume, Lewis V. Baldwin answers this question by focusing on the man himself. Drawing on the testimonies of friends, family, and closest associates, this volume adds much-needed biographical background to the discussion, as Baldwin looks beyond all of the mythic, messianic, and iconic images to treat King in terms of his fundamental and vivid humanness. Special attention is devoted to Kings personal insecurities and struggles, his humility and affinity to common people, his delight in pleasant and passionate conversation, his insatiable love for the precious but ordinary things of life, his robust appetite for artfully-prepared and delicious soul food, his enduring appreciation for music and dance, his cheerful and playful attitude and spirit, his abiding interest in games and sports, and his amazing gift of wit, humor, and laughter.

King emerges here as an ordinary human being who enjoyed and celebrated life to the fullest, but was never bigger than life. Here we see the personal qualities of Kingas a real, fleshly human beingand also as a man shaped by his social and cultural experiences and locations. This book reclaims the man behind the mythology.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506405629
Publisher:	Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
Publication date:	06/03/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	440
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Lewis V. Baldwin is professor emeritus of religious studies at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. He is the author of There Is a Balm in Gilead: The Cultural Roots of Martin Luther King, Jr. (1991); To Make the Wounded Whole: The Cultural Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. (1992); and Never to Leave Us Alone: The Prayer Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. (2010).

Table of Contents

Foreword Frye Gaillard ix

Preface xv

Acknowledgments xvii

Introduction 1

1 "A Regular Fella": The Boy Named M. L. King, Jr. 17

2 "The Measure of a Man": Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.? 61

3 "Let Us Break Bread Together": Martin Luther King, Jr., Southern Cooking, and the Socio-Cultural Significance of Food and Eating 117

4 "Let Our Rejoicing Rise": Music as a Central, Living Element in the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. 157

5 "His Child's Heart": Martin Luther King, Jr.'s World of Play and Sports 223

6 "To Joy and Mirth": Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Gift of Folk Wit, Humor, and Laughter 259

7 "A Good Man, But Not a God" 321

Bibliography 325

Sermons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 345

Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 347

Index of Names 349