Martin Luther King and Africa (Panorama--Lesson 6)

Martin Luther King and Africa

About the author

Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian novelist, poet, critic and a prominent name in African Literature. His first novel, Thing Fall Apart, won a huge response. He also wrote several short stories. He won awards such as Man Booker International Prize and the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. He wrote this powerful essay on the complex issues of racism and discrimination of Africans, by tracing it back to the horrific practice of slavery.

About the text (Summary)

The author, in this essay, states how Martin Luther King was able to fight racial discrimination in America by accepting and embracing his African roots. The author stresses the fact that it was King's indomitable spirit and his awakening to his mission, that led him to struggle against prejudice and oppression. Achebe stresses the fact that it is essential to have a correct perspective of history of Africa to successfully fight tyranny, something that King was able to do. 

Chinua Achebe opines that Dr. King was able to win victory only through struggle. He personally struggled to eliminate fear and hate, the emotions that hold back humanity. King has stood as a driving force, guiding and showing direction to the people on how to face the battle. He has put an end to the hardships of the past. He took Gandhi’s principle of non violence in achieving his goal. The motto of his organization was not to hurt any man. King led massive protests in a peaceful manner and was instrumental in getting the acts of equality and voting passed.

King’s greatest strength is having sound knowledge in the history of Africa which was very important in reaching his goal. He made it clear that the Africans were not happy with the oppression. He was able to convince both the Africans and the Americans. They both treat him as the one who belonged to their continent. He was the man who struggled to restore humanity to the oppressed and the oppressor.

Comprehension Questions

1.      How did Marin Luther King embrace his African roots?

A.    Martin Luther King's ancestors were brought to America from Africa. There was a slave trade in the early African history which made many Africans, slaves in America. There was a lot of racial discrimination and inequality. Though King now belongs to America, he opted to embrace the suffering of the African continent. He had cultivated many friendships and personal relationships with African students in America. He tried to build close ties with the African leaders in all parts of the continent. He even attended the Ghana's independence. In 1957, he sponsored a document signed by 130 world leaders urging the international community to protest against apartheid (racial discrimination). He also sponsored an 'Appeal for Action against Apartheid' in 1962. He described the racial discrimination as a sophisticated form of slavery. When many African Americans were not too willing to accept their traces and the inequality, Martin Luther King has embraced his African roots by not lamenting the fact that his ancestors did nothing but sit around waiting for the white slavers to arrive. He didn't suffer the awkwardness of being an African. Instead, he committed himself in preparation of his great work in the United States.

2.      What is James Baldwin's view about African history?

A.    James Baldwin was an American writer, who actually was an African American. But he never wanted to be called like that. His works used to talk about the racial discrimination and injustice which was inevitable. He feels bad for the fact that his traces were of Africa, and that his ancestors were responsible for the 'African conundrum'. He expresses it in a bitter tone that the Africans had accepted the slavery which caused a confusing and difficult problem. He lamented the fact that his African ancestors did nothing but sit around waiting for the white slavers to arrive. He believes that Africa was responsible for the slave trade. 

3.      In what way does the author disagree with the American professor of History?

A.    There was a heated TV discussion on slave trade in which an American professor blurted out that it was the Africans who had captured their own people  in the hinterland and sold them to white people on the coast.

The author disagrees with this statement and poses a question on what the whites were doing on the African coast thousands of miles from their own homes. He sarcastically adds that they might be holidaying there on the African sunny beaches.

4.      In what way did Mahatma Gandhi influence Martin Luther King?

A.    King learned from Gandhi that human beings have a necessity to respect life at any cost; and If people forget or don't follow this, they would cheapen their own lives and humanity. King had taken the operational techniques for his organization from the Gandhian way. He said that Gandhi had been their guiding light for their technique of nonviolent social change. He fought for racial equality in peaceful protests. Their motto was to not cause any harm to lives. Dr. King was successful in attaining the seemingly impossible goals with his powerful words and peaceful protests.

5.      According to the author, Martin Luther King achieved two things. What is his first achievement?

A.    Chinua Achebe says that Martin Luther King is worthy of the honour and celebration we accord his memory today. He gives two reasons for that. The first is King's personal achievement. The author says that fear and hate are two emotions that are destructive and cause limitations to humanity. MLK has struggled and conquered these emotions which become his first achievement. To win over the negative feelings in oneself is a great achievement. MLK has won victories with his heroic struggle in a very early age. The author says that we get inspired from his struggle and victory and it gives us the energy and hope to dare the obstacles in our lives.

6.      What is Martin Luther King's second achievement according to the author?

A.    Chinua Achebe opines that Martin Luther King is important as a staging post in a long history of black struggle, and as a signpost for future battles. It means that MLK was able to put an end for the black struggle showing them the path to fight. He syas that MLK was able to successfully fight tyranny, as he had a correct perspective of history of Africa which was very essential. It is very important to understand and let others know the history of Africa before the struggle because it saves us from the misconception that the victims were happy with the oppression.

7.      What is the central theme of the passage?

A.    The central theme of the passage is that victory comes after great struggle when the operation is a peaceful one and when one has correct understanding of the history. It is essential to accept and embrace our roots in the fight against prejudice and oppression.

Long answer questions

1.      How does the author present different opinions on racism and slavery?

A.    Chinua Achebe, in his powerful essay Martin Luther King and Africa, has expressed his views on racism and slavery. He goes to incidents dated back to 15^th century when the Africans were forcefully migrated to America. It was called the humanity’s greatest crime.

The author mentions a few authors as examples who wouldn’t want to be considered as Africans. They were not willing to face the awkwardness and they lament the fact that their ancestors did nothing but sit around waiting for white slavers to arrive. The author mentions that it was something like the victim being blamed for the crime.

Thomas Jefferson compared Negros to Whites and declared that blacks were inferior to whites in many ways. He said that they didn’t have the imagination power; they were dull and tasteless. Chinua Achebe points out that the blacks and whites couldn’t be compared because the whites were grown up with all the facilities and freedom whereas the blacks were degraded and oppressed. He says that it was uncertain to compare the intellect of two races that were grown up in totally contrast situations.

Chinua Achebe states that Dr. King was able to fight racial discrimination in America by accepting and embracing his African roots. The author emphasizes that it is important to have the correct historical perspective because it saves us from the misconception that there were days when victims were happy with oppression.

2.      Give a brief description of Martin Luther King’s contribution to eradication of discrimination against African-Americans?

A.    Martin Luther King has become an activist at an early age. He led the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 which resulted in an end to segregation of seats in buses. The whites and blacks rode the buses equally from then. Martin Luther King has embraced his African roots and fought for the equality of races. He struggled and conquered the humanity’s greatest limitations—hate and fear. He accepted the fact that his ancestors were brought to America but he didn’t lament that fact like others. Instead, he understood the pain and suffering of the African continent and tried to eradicate the racial discrimination. For that, he first maintained good contacts with the African students in America and also built good relations with the African leaders and other world leaders. He managed to sponsor a document signed by 130 world leaders in support to fight against racial discrimination. King learnt from Gandhi to respect humanity and not to hurt any man. He led all the marches and protests in peace. They went for civil disobedience in a non violent manner. He became successful in his task.  The ‘Civil Rights Act’ and the ‘Voting Rights Act’ were the result of King’s untiring effort to eradicate racism. He achieved equality for the Africans in America by putting an end to racial discrimination. He also stood as a directional force to the people who were totally lost in grief. He also put an end to the confusing belief that the Africans were happy with the slavery and hence looked forward to be oppressed. Martin Luther King has contributed to eradication of discrimination against African-Americans by restoring humanity to the oppressed and the oppressor.

About Martin Luther King Jr. (Additional information)

Martin Luther King was an American Baptist minister and activist who was a leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience. He became a civil rights activist early in his career. He emerged as a Negro leader of 1st rank during the Montgomery bus boycott (1955) which lasted for 381 days. It resulted in an end to segregation in public places. The Supreme Court has announced that the Negros and the whites would ride the buses as equals.

He helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), serving as its first president (1957). He helped organize the nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama. He also helped to organize the March on Washington, where he delivered his world famous speech, ‘I Have a Dream’. He pursued his doctorate in theology.

He led a peace walk called 'March on Washington' in 1963 for jobs and freedom and to shed light on injustice. Dr. King delivered his world famous 'I have a Dream' speech to the 2,50,000 people that were assembled there after the walk. He took the ideas for his organization from Christianity and operational techniques from Gandhi.

He was arrested for the massive protest in 1963 and it was then he wrote 'A letter from Birmingham Jail' in which he penned the manifesto of civil rights. He was also named 'Man of the year' by the Time Magazine. He was the youngest one (35yrs) to receive the Nobel peace prize in 1964. His acceptance speech was considered to be very powerful.

King's non violence used powerful words, protests, civil disobedience; sit ins etc to achieve the seemingly impossible goals. He considered Gandhi as his guiding light for their technique of non violent social change. As a result of King's effort, the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 and the Voting Right Act in 1965. 

Dr. King was assassinated in 1968 when he was about to start a protest for the welfare of the sanitary workers.

The 13 years of his leadership has vanished the 350 years long injustice and has given racial equality to African Americans in America. During this period, he was arrested 20 times; his house was bombed, wrote 5 books, travelled to wherever there was injustice, delivered more than 2,500 speeches and was awarded 5 honorary degrees. His accomplishments are now taught in schools. He is the only non-president in whose honour, a national holiday is dedicated. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was dedicated in 2011.