The Papers of Martin Luther King Jr. Volume IV: Symbol of the Movement January 1957-December 1958 (Volume 4) (Martin Luther King Papers)
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Acclaimed by Ebony magazine as "one of those rare publishing events that generate as much excitement in the cloistered confines of the academy as they do in the general public " The Papers of Martin Luther King Jr. chronicles one of the twentieth centurys most dynamic personalities and one of the nations greatest social struggles. Kings call for racial justice and his faith in the power of nonviolence to engender a major transformation of American society is movingly conveyed in this authoritative multivolume series. In Volume IV with the Montgomery bus boycott at an end King confronts the sudden demands of celebrity while trying to identify the next steps in the burgeoning struggle for equality. Anxious to duplicate the success of the boycott he spends much of 1957 and 1958 establishing the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. But advancing the movement in the face of dogged resistance he finds that it is easier to inspire supporters with his potent oratory than to organize a mass movement for social change. Yet King remains committed: "The vast possibilities of a nonviolent non-cooperative approach to the solution of the race problem are still challenging indeed. I would like to remain a part of the unfolding development of this approach for a few more years." Kings budding international prestige is affirmed in March 1957 when he attends the independence ceremonies in Ghana West Africa. Two months later his first national address at the "Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom " is widely praised and in June 1958 Kings increasing prominence is recognized with a long-overdue White House meeting. During this period King also cultivates alliances with the labor and pacifist movements and international anticolonial organizations. As Volume IV closes King is enjoying the acclaim that has greeted his first book Stride Toward Freedom only to suffer a near-fatal stabbing in New York City.
