The Drum Major Instinct: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Theory of Political Service

Though there are several studies devoted to aspects of Martin Luther King Jr.’s intellectual thought, there has been no comprehensive study of his overarching theory of political service. In The Drum Major Instinct, Justin Rose draws on Martin Luther King Jr.’s sermons, political speeches, and writings to construct and conceptualize King’s politics as a unified theory.

Rose argues that King’s theoretical framework—as seen throughout his wide body of writings—has three central components. Fir...