"In a Single Garment of Destiny": A Global Vision of Justice

King Legacy #8

by Martin Luther King Jr., Lewis V. Baldwin (Editor), Charlayne Hunter-Gault (Foreword)

An unprecedented and timely collection that captures the global vision of Dr. King?in his own words   Too many people continue to think of Dr. King only as ";a southern civil rights leader"; or ";an American Gandhi,"; thus ignoring his impact on poor and oppressed people around the world. "In a Single Garment of Destiny" is the first book to treat King's positions on global liberation struggles through the prism of his own words and activities.   From the pages of this extraordinary collection, King emerges not only as an advocate for global human rights but also as a towering figure who collaborated with Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert J. Luthuli, Thich Nhat Hanh, and other national and international figures in addressing a multitude of issues we still struggle with today?from racism, poverty, and war to religious bigotry and intolerance. Introduced and edited by distinguished King scholar Lewis Baldwin, this volume breaks new grou

Genres: History, Essays, Politics, Religion, Classics

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the pivotal leaders of the American civil rights movement. King was a Baptist minister, one of the few leadership roles available to black men at the time. He became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–1956) and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1957), serving as its first president. His efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Here he raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and established himself as one of the greatest orators in U.S. history. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means.

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a national holiday in the United States in 1986. In 2004, King was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.

Reviews

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I]njustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. (MLK, 1959)

In a Single Garment of Destiny, Martin Luther King extends his vision for civil rights to international affairs – colonialism, war, and interfaith pluralism – in a series of speeches and articles dating from 1954 to 1967. These are presented chronologically within each thematic section, allowing readers to follow the development of his ideas across time (e.g., from Christianity first and foremost to a more pluralistic approach to religion). His ideas are situated in a broad framework, recognizing civil rights is impossible in a world at war or marred by injustice and poverty.

All are included.

We have inherited a large house, a great “world house” in which we have to live together—black and white, Easterner and Westerner, Gentile and Jew, Catholic and Protestant, Muslim and Hindu—a family unduly separated in ideas, culture and interest, who, because we can never again live apart, must learn somehow to live with each other in peace.

… Equality with whites will not solve the problems of either whites or Negroes if it means equality in a world society stricken by poverty and in a universe doomed to extinction by war. (MLK, 1967)

MLK's speech-giving is effective in part because of the moral high ground that he occupies, but also because of his use of language. His language is challenging but playful and keeps us thinking about difficult ideas rather than tuning them out: When scientific power outruns moral power, we end up with guided missiles and misguided men (MLK, 1967). He engages our imagination but also pulls us up short, asking readers/listeners to consider the different kinds of power and differentiate between what is guided and misguided. He also carefully made difficult and important distinctions:

[T]hey, like many others, tended to confuse passive resistance with non-resistance. This is completely wrong. True non-violent resistance is not unrealistic submission to evil power. It is rather a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love, in the faith that it is better to be the recipient of violence than the inflictor of it, since the latter only multiplies the existence of violence and bitterness in the universe, while the former may develop a sense of shame in the opponent, and thereby bring about a transformation and change of heart. (MLK, 1959)

I don't often think about MLK's intellectual genealogy, but enjoyed the generosity of his speeches and writing. Would a modern leader refer 121 times to Gandhi? (Some of these are footnotes.) Of course, referring to Gandhi and others also makes his ideas weightier (the same reason we cite our research): "it's not just me thinking these things…"

MLK was a systems thinker: we are all connected here. This is a simple idea, although one easily missed. Do we miss these connections because it is convenient for us to do so or because the US values independence rather than interconnectedness?

The agony of the poor impoverishes the rich; the betterment of the poor enriches the rich. We are inevitably our brother’s keeper because we are our brother’s brother. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. (MLK, 1967)

Some of MLK's phrases show up in multiple speeches and articles. (I'm glad that I'm not the only one to self-plagiarize.) I enjoyed seeing these powerful phrases repeat as a way of further understanding MLK as a speaker and writer.

And this is the peace that we are seeking: not an old negative obnoxious peace which is merely the absence of tension, but a positive, lasting peace, which is the presence of brotherhood and justice. (MLK, 1957)

Many men cry peace! peace! but they refuse to do the things that make for peace. (MLK, 1967)

With some less charismatic speakers, reading makes sense. I should listen to – and read – someone as charismatic and exciting as MLK. I tried to channel his voice, but only did a marginal job of doing so.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this because I wanted to take a deeper dive into Martin Luther's King writing and speeches. This collection contains some of his lesser known work.
I was not surprised by MLKs skill with language and his ability to bring a fresh perspective to a long-running problem. What took me aback was MLK's radicalism. He would be (derisively) called a "globalist" today. His affinity for Gandhi and non-violent protest is well-documented, but in this book, he writes in depth about Gandhi's accomplishments as well as those of the burgeoning democracy movement in Africa which were happening in the late 50s and early 60s, as countries like Ghana broke free from the shackles of colonialism, much as India had.
But MLK's comments about the American enterprise are what truly stun. He lambasts Americans as war-mongers and craven capitalists who will do anything for a dollar. He called for a world government. And of course, one can't help but speculate how such beliefs would land in the 21st century.

[Soraya Keiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5

Needed some MLK realness in this crazy, often depressing world. Even when written 60+ years ago, his words remain as relevant as ever. That was sometimes a depressing thought because it felt like he could be writing these words for 2025 and I thought… have we gone anywhere????????? This collection of his writings was particularly interesting because it explores his responses to global issues (colonialism, poverty, war, religious pluralism). He writes better than me, so here are some quotes that particularly struck me.

"But in spite of the masses who gather each Sunday, there is the constant deterioration of community and family life and the corruption of our national life as evidenced by the popularity of a presidential candidate who promises to return the nation to a world of the past, where there will be no taxes, no foreign aid, no social security, and no problems that can’t be solved by nuclear power. And the very people who are making this candidate so popular are the people who fill our churches in the midwestern and southern states."

Like I’m sorry… is this not about our current political state?

"The rich must not ignore the poor because both rich and poor are tied in a single garment of destiny. All life is interrelated, and all men are interdependent. The agony of the poor diminishes the rich, and the salvation of the poor enlarges the rich. We are inevitably our brother’s keeper because of the interrelated structure of reality."

"We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for victims of our nation and for those it calls enemy, for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our brothers."

Eeeee! Like come on now.

"We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late."

I was convicted by his words. As an American, a citizen diplomat, an international relations-enthusiast, a peacemaker, and most importantly as a Christian.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

NOTE: I received this book as part of a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway in exchange for my honest review.

This book will be reviewed in my typical Pros and Cons Format.

PROS:

"In a Single Garment of Awesomeness" - This is an outstanding collection of Speeches, Quotes, Comments and Letters by the beloved Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The greatest thing about this book is that it shows you how Dr. King was more than just a key player in the Civil Rights Movement, he was also highly politically involved all over the world, not only in social justice, but economically as well. If you want to dive deeper into the life of Dr. King, give this book a read.

CONS:

-These Cons are honestly the only reason I did not give this book a five star review!-

"Introducing the introduction to the introduction-ception" - I was getting a bit annoyed at the sheer volume of "Introductions" written by Lewis Baldwin in this book. I can say without exaggerating that Lewis Baldwin's "Introductions" probably take up about a third of the book. In his INITIAL introduction, he stated that some of Dr. Kings Speeches and Comments my seem repetitive... but honestly Lewis Baldwin's introductions were much more monotonous and repetitive. Dr. King was a very fluent and clear speaker... you DO NOT need to explain every single thing to the reader, as Dr. King is pretty efficient at explaining his views himself. Lewis Baldwin's initial introduction was sufficient, and he should have left it at that.

"I have a dream... that one day someone will send me the missing pages." - No seriously, my book jumps randomly from page 194 to 215, mid-chapter. I was completely confused until I checked the page numbers. The page was not torn out or anything, they simply weren't even put in. If you own a copy of this book I would suggest making sure you have all of the pages. NOTE TO THE PUBLISHING COMPANY: I do hope you did not mass print this and send out boxes of copies to book retailers with pages missing, that would be pretty embarrassing.

HOWEVER, all in all this was a very eye-opening book, and if you are a scholar of Dr. King this is one you should absolutely add to your collection! (Assuming your copy has all of the pages)

[Rand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whatever we do should be done in a spirit of international brotherhood, not national selfishness. It should be done not because it is diplomatically expedient, but because it is morally compelling.

This tidy volume of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s rhetoric surveys his policy beyond the traditionally taught confines of the Civil Rights Movement in the US into a holistic, worldwide viewpoint of compassion and justice. This is done in six sections, outlining the concerns of post-colonialism, with a special focus on the conflict in Viet Nam and inter-faith relations as well as identifying racism as a issue not confined to the US which in turn fuels global poverty. In his short yet powerful career as a public figure, he called upon the US to rally together in unity to recognize its place of privilege and extend a helping hand to struggling nations across the world as doing so is part of what it means to be more than merely human: to be humanitarian.

Of particular interest is the Palm Sunday memorial sermon on Gandhi, who is in many ways an analogue to King in that both protested injustice in their homelands as well as the rest of the world.

This book is an important part of the fabric of identity which composes MLK, providing a handy reference for students of a crucial turning point in history. The meticulous index is a boon, as are the notes of the sources.

Reading copy provided courtesy of Beacon Press.

[tana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compact book that I thankfully received via Goodreads giveaway, successfully highlights MLK's life work as a global foray as opposed to the diminished oft-used description of a "Southern rights" leader. The book utilizes Reverend King's own sermons and speeches in a way that will give you chills should you hear his unmistakable voice as you read. It did me. Whether you are a casual or well-informed student of King, this book is a must-read.

[Erick Romero · Rating 2 out of 5]

He's Bernie Sanders, not Ibram X. Kendi.

If Martin Luther King, Jr. was anything, he was consistent, both in his messaging about world peace and his unwillingness to see how others have been working toward the same goal. While this particular book of his speeches and written statements were collected to showcase his belief that social justice could not be truly achieved anywhere if it wasn't achieved everywhere, this "go global or bust" belief reminds me of the college buddies I used to converse with back when we thought we had it all figured out.

It's an immature view on human nature, and it's why I was so disappointed to learn it was held by an icon like MLK. They say never meet your heroes, right? Well, I'd rather know the truth than not, but it still stings a little every time I find out just how wrong a role model can be. BUT, it's also a good thing because it teaches us to be vigilant and not just accept what we're told because of the source.

I want to be clear on this part: it's not just having a difference of opinion about how to achieve peace on Earth; each one of us has an idea or two about that. It's the assumption that those who disagree on how to attain this global harmony must, therefore, want death and destruction. As one would expect when someone speaks in grand terms about obvious things, King never brought up a situation where a specific solution using his peace practice could have been executed, though he said plenty on the horrors of war... as if we didn't already know.

The tribute to Ghandi was cool, as was the detailing of their shared nonviolent philosophy (though it never really got THAT detailed). The celebration of Ghana's independence was pleasant. The ideas that all major world religions share a core of love for others, even our enemies, yup, right on. His speeches on the Vietnam War, though, were maybe the worst things I've ever read (or heard) from the man.

In maybe eighty pages on the topic, not once did King mention why the U.S. was in Vietnam. He dismissed the threat of Communism as overblown and the violence done within the country as natural for a struggling democracy. Yet anything America did was, in his mind, clearly about reconquering the country, committing violence because we just love violence, dividing people and keeping them poor because... I guess because the West is just evil? I see where a lot of the current antagonism towards Western Civilization comes from: bullshit like this in the 60's.

King even began contradicting himself in a couple of ways, which was actually a little scary. After repeatedly claiming there was never an instance where force and violence should be used, as per his nonviolent philosophy, he did say that a world government... perhaps sprouting from the structure of the United Nations... should have a police force to keep the peace. Yeah, where have I heard that before?

And in trying to excuse the violence of some riots in the U.S., he pulled a "well, it could have been a lot MORE violent, so the fact that it wasn't meant that the nonviolent principle was followed." He even threw in the claim that "hundreds" of people who looted stores brought the items back after, a claim I have yet been able to verify.

At least King stuck by a few of the principles we have long known him for, like colorblindess, free speech and open debate, and the general idea that Communism might be a bad idea. He is very much opposed to capitalism as a way to improve society, though, and he really likes to link racism, imperialism, and capitalism as virtually the same thing, so he definitely would have a place on the internet in today's reactionaty times. Along the way, his predictions of WW3, American colonies in Peru and Laos and many others, and that poverty could never be reduced using capitalism, have all made him appear silly 60 years later.

I just did not expect Dr. King to be this inadequate in his knowledge of history, nor completely absent any understanding of economics. The beautiful language he uses from time to time to try and get his points across became, at least to me as I read his repeated denounciations, increasingly similar to how a husband would bring home a lovely bouquet of flowers whenever he cheated on his wife.

I'm not mad, just disappointed.

[Jason Scoggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, militarism and economic exploitation are incapable of being conquered.

A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. On the one hand we are called to play the good Samaritan on life’s roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life’s highway.

True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth.

With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say: “This is not just.” It will look at our alliance with the landed gentry of Latin America and say: “This is not just.” The Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just. A true revolution of values will lay hands on the world order and say of war: “This way of settling differences is not just.” This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation’s homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of people normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"Beyond Vietnam" 1967

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection includes a lot of deep cuts that I didn’t read in school, and it was interesting to see how King’s viewed racism, poverty, and colonialism as overlapping evils. Sad to see how relevant King’s messages against bigotry and exploitation remain today.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing.
*I won this book in a GoodReads First Reads giveaway*

[Steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting historical snippets