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And you are, more than you realize. Your heroes are only
human, after all, and in the new book Death of a King
by Tavis Smiley (with David Ritz), you’ll read about one
of them.
On April 4, 1967, Martin Luther King, Jr. (known to his
friends as “Doc”) had his mind made up. Despite urgings from
many in his inner circle, he was determined to go
head-to-head with Lyndon Johnson – arguably the most
powerful man in the world – against the Vietnam War. They’d
had this conversation before, Doc and LBJ, but Doc was
“about to dramatically turn up the volume.”
It pained him, however, that his own people were attacking
him.
In his mid-30s then, Doc seemed to be losing them. Many were
following what SNCC leaders and Malcolm X were saying;
specifically, that revolution was the way to quash racism.
Doc felt strongly that ending the war was the key to
peaceful equality. He was “still formulating his Vietnam
position” at this time in his life, but he was increasingly
seen as “out of style and out of step.”
The notion may have been underscored that summer, when more
than 125 riots broke out across the nation and no one seemed
to be listening to Doc’s words. He was widely “out of favor”
with many; some even blamed the violence on him.
Fundraising events failed that year. Money was tight; they
were “barely scrap[ing] by.” Doc’s inner circle began
“fighting to take the campaign in different directions,” and
he turned to his wife, Coretta, on whom he had cheated,
hoping for the support of at least one person he loved.
By early spring of 1968, Doc was deeply depressed and was
talking about death “’all the time’.” He wasn’t sleeping,
wasn’t eating right, and was “torn by his obligations.” He
confessed to friends that “He’s certain… he’ll be killed.”
I’m not normally a fan of books like this. Recreated
conversations presented as quotes and reconstructed personal
feelings of dead men do not make a non-fiction book, in my
opinion. But yet – because author Tavis Smiley explains why
he wrote Death of a King this way - it’s okay.
In fact, it’s better than okay.
In his introduction, Smiley says that an early admiration of
King helped him in life and career, but he thinks King’s
“martyrdom has undermined [King’s] message.” Through
interviews and other conversations, Smiley recorded
“essential truths” that he says needed preserving, and he
found an immensely readable way to share them.
Ultimately, I liked this book for its novel-like flair and
for the intimacy that it lends to “the soul of the man” so
many revere. And if you’re one of those reverential folks,
Death of a King will be a huge book for you.
* * *
In Smiley’s book, he mentions King’s “Letters from a
Birmingham Jail.” In Letters to a Birmingham Jail by
Bryan Loritts, you’ll read essays by influential men who
reflect on religion and the truths that King held dear.
Loritts, by the way, is lead pastor of Fellowship Memphis
Church.
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