The Montgomery Boycott elevated Rev. King to prominence. The media was paying attention. National news was reporting, international news noticed. He was a young, 26-year-old Baptist preacher who spoke unapologetically on the unjust Negro condition. He preached about the social ills. Students listened and other campaigns followed.
The campaigns were always student-filled, youth-oriented and faith-based and were pursued throughout the South. There was the Birmingham Campaign and The March on Washington, where Dr. King’s most popular speech was given.
The “I Have a Dream” speech was about jobs and freedom, but more than that, it was about a dream. Dr. King gave a Baptist preacher clarion call to America.
In one speech, he summed up a history lesson and a vision on moving forward and challenging America to live up to its creed and code of conduct that the forefathers had penned.
The world listened as 250,000 appeared before him. It was a monumental moment. It was a historical moment for America, which realized at all levels that social change was necessary.
King spoke to the throne of power in front of the Lincoln statue. King’s voice was heard and that speech today is considered one of the greatest speeches ever made.
A King monument sits on the Washington mall today, in his honor. So, the history is benchmarked from Lincoln to King and now includes the historical presidency of President Obama.
King’s movement was faith-based funded. People gathered in the church and made donations as they structured a newfound freedom. There were no studies from universities; there were no grants from foundations to King’s organization, The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC. There were no corporate sponsorships.
Instead, grassroots people passed the basket. The Civil Rights Movement was a people’s movement. There was never enough money. People of the movement were volunteers. People came together, White and Black, and Dr. King was jailed as he fought racism.
There were divisions in King’s movement, make no mistake. There was jealousy in the leadership. King was the young one who could preach, teach, minister and attract media attention. He was a brilliant mind with brilliant minds with him, who followed.
The King team, the aides, as they were often referred to, knew their jobs. There were the Reverends Andrew Young, Jesse Jackson, James Bevel and others. The King team was small, young and tight.