Reclaiming the Great World House - (The Morehouse College King Collection Civil and Human Rights) by Vicki L Crawford & Lewis V Baldwin (Paperback)

About the Book

"Reclaiming the Great World House in the 21st Century: Cross-Disciplinary Explorations of the Vision of Martin Luther King, Jr., does just that. Established and emerging scholars explore Martin Luther King, Jr.'s global vision and his lasting relevance to a globalized rights culture. The editors further explain that this edited collection looks at: King afresh in his own historical context, while also refocusing his legacy of ideas and social praxis in broader directions for today and tomorrow. Employing King's metaphor of "the great world house," with major attention to racism, poverty, and war - or what he called 'the evil triumvirate"--the focus is on King's appraisal of and approach to the global-human struggle in the 1950s and 60s, and on the extent to which his social witness and praxis takes on new hues and pertinence not only in the ongoing struggles against racism, poverty and economic injustice, and violence and human destruction, but also in the mounting efforts to eliminate problems such sexism, homophobia, and religious bigotry and intolerance from the global landscape. The conclusion is that King's ideas and models of social protest are not only alive but also growing in vitality and popularity in the 21st century, especially as humans worldwide are struggling daily with the lingering, antiquated thinking and behavior around race and ethnicity, the widening gap between "the haves" and "the have-nots," the mounting cycles of violence, torture, and terrorism, and the frustrating and growing chasms resulting from religious pluralism and the subordination and marginalization of certain sectors of the human family based on gender and sexuality"--

Book Synopsis

The burgeoning terrain of Martin Luther King Jr. studies is leading to a new appreciation of his thought and its meaningfulness for the emergence and shaping of the twenty-first-century world. This volume brings together an impressive array of scholars from various backgrounds and disciplines to explore the global significance of King--then, now, and in the future.

Employing King's metaphor of "the great world house," the major focus is on King's appraisal of the global-human struggle in the 1950s and 1960s, his relevance for today's world, and how future generations might constructively apply or appropriate his key ideas and values in addressing racism, poverty and economic injustice, militarism, sexism, homophobia, the environmental crisis, globalization, and other challenges confronting humanity today. The contributors treat King in context and beyond context, taking seriously the historical King while also exploring how his name, activities, contributions, and legacy are still associated with a globalized rights culture.

Review Quotes

Perhaps the best way to summarize this instructive volume is to conclude that King did not leave us precise instructions regarding how to live peacefully in the world house, but he did call upon us to learn for ourselves how to 'live as brothers or together we will be forced to perish as fools.'-- "Journal of American History"

We may need to understand the mission and the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. now more than ever before. Many try to define what he has meant to this country and the world but fall short. For those who yearn for his voice, this book provides an exceptional opportunity to hear from scholars who have studied him deeply and are keepers of his flame. This book is a chance to discover how King helped lead the fifty-year transformation of American society and the ways we can continue to demand respect for human dignity today.--U.S. Representative John Lewis

About the Author

Vicki L. Crawford (Editor)
VICKI L. CRAWFORD is the director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Collection at Morehouse College and general editor of the Morehouse College King Collection Series on Civil and Human Rights. She is a coeditor of Women in the Civil Rights Movement: Trailblazers and Torchbearers, 1941-1965 and the author of numerous scholarly articles.

Lewis V. Baldwin (Editor)
LEWIS V. BALDWIN is a professor emeritus of religious studies at Vanderbilt University. He is the author of many books, including To Make the Wounded Whole: The Cultural Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.; Toward the Beloved Community: Martin Luther King Jr. and South Africa; and Behind the Public Veil: The Humanness of Martin Luther King Jr.