A private citizen who transformed the world around him, Martin Luther King, Jr., was arguably the greatest American who ever lived. Now, after more than thirty years, few people understand how truly radical he was. In this groundbreaking examination of the man and his legacy, provocative author, lecturer, and professor Michael Eric Dyson restores King's true vitality and complexity and challenges us to embrace the very contradictions that make King relevant in today's world.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Provocative preacher-teacher Michael Eric Dyson, known for his hip-hop-style delivery and encyclopedic intellectual powers, heroically tries to update and examine the true legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. for a glib Generation-X world. Calling I May Not Get There with You a work of "biocriticism," Dyson peels away the superficial image of King the man to reveal a complex human being whose work was far from finished or totally understood. "In the last thirty years we have trapped King in romantic images or frozen his legacy in worship," he writes. "I seek to rescue King from his admirers and deliver him from his foes." To that end, Dyson takes aim at neoconservatives like Shelby Steele, who spin King's multiracial dreams into a right-wing call to end affirmative action, and goes after black militants who thought King was "soft" and overlooked the power of his "black radical Christianity." He also criticizes the government's co-opting of King's philosophy in a holiday, as well as what he calls the King family's well-meaning, but destructive, attempts to protect King's legacy. Dyson forces us to accept King for all of his faults--including plagiarism and womanizing--but more importantly allows us to see a real human being who rose to the height of humanity. --Eugene Holley, Jr.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Reduced to sound bites and videoclips, Martin Luther King's image has become one of a starry-eyed dreamer and conformist, contends Dyson (Making Malcolm, etc.) in this attempt to reclaim the man he views as heroic and flawed from biographers, conservatives and cultural pundits who, Dyson maintains, have molded King's myth to fit their own political agendas. Readers looking for a linear, biographical text will not find it here. Rather, this is a bracing, at times willfully subjective, political and cultural analysis in which Dyson's signature style is just as surprising and revolutionary as what he presents as King's true message. As usual, this Baptist minister employs poetic, sometimes acrobatic gospel rhetoric, with multiple references to black youth music. One shock to the system is his point-by-point comparison of the similarities between King's and slain rapper Tupac (2pac) Shakur's philosophies. In addition to going on the offensive against the deliberate editing, misquoting and misinterpretations of King's speeches, Dyson tackles such difficult issues as the exclusion of women activists from civil rights organizing. He also deals adeptly with King's adulterous liaisons, his disillusionment with whites, the accusations of plagiarism against him and the troubles in King's marriage. His attempt to resurrect King as an evolutionary and revolutionary thinker who was not "down" with the status quo brings home that his stance on economic equity and the Vietnam War intensified the FBI surveillance that Dyson believed led to his death. In the end, Dyson successfully proves how vital King's true political views and personality are to struggling and frustrated black youth today. (Jan.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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84 of 95 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Dyson has written an excellent antidote to the annual Martin Luther King Day speeches we hear every year, many of which make him out to be black Santa Claus. King has become a generic figure, an empty vessel into which all good wishes may be poured annually. We have forgotten that Dr. King was a threat to entrenched power in this country, and that his critique of American life was far-reaching and radical. Dyson does a good job of reminding readers of how much we've forgotten about this remarkable visionary prophet, and of how far we have to go to fulfill his vision. Having said that, Dyson did little if any primary research for this book; the sources are all familiar. Nor is he very careful in sorting them. The book is poorly edited. Sometimes Dyson is silly, unctious, pretentious or obtuse. There are whole chapters that could disappear without harming the book. He's an approachable writer with a likable voice and good ideas, but hits too many false notes and frequently trips over his own ego. I repeat, this book needed a real editor. It's worth reading, and much better than anything else Dyson has done; this project seemed to bring out his best work.
30 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Dr. Dyson presents a side of history that truly exemplifies what he terms America's, "cultural amnesia." As we come to the end of celebrating another King Holiday, the sanitization of his [King] legacy is artfully critiqued by Dyson. Providing the reader an alternative lens, Dyson's propositions takes you on a journey which may--as it did me-- force you to confront deeply-rooted ideologies about King and the civil rights era. This lens guided my journey from admiring him solely as civil rights revolutionary to new paths of understanding including his beliefs about socialism, the Viet Nam War, and woman's rights. A must read for those seeking new insights about King's multi-faceted and intriguing public / private persona.
21 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Dyson presents a full picture of MLK with all of his strengths and weaknesses. He writes of MLK's brilliant speaking ability, his unshakeable courage, and his willingness to fight for the oppressed, while at the same time, he truthfully acknowledges that King chased women and plagiarized. Dyson included a lot of lesser known facts about King and presented them in a way that brought King's foibles to light without attacking the underlying goodness of his character. For that, this book is a worthwhile read.
At the same time, however, Dyson is at times extremely hard to take seriously. He goes into a long, long comparison between King and Tupac Shakur, which is laughable at its best, insulting at its worst. How can one take seriously a comparison between a great civil rights leader who advocated nonviolence and universal love, with a hip hop artist who made a living off a culture that glorifies drugs and violence? What I especially don't understand is how he palliates any reason for the comparison (quoting Chris Rock's statement that King was "assassinated" while Tupac was "shot" and that "we still go to school on [Tupac's] birthday") and then compares them anyway.
Dyson also attacks those who he claims "misuse" King's teachings. At the same time, he himself misuses King's teachings to attack the conservative elements of the black church. He describes King's philanderings as a moral slip, then he attacks the black church for being against premarital sex. While Dyson is certainly entitled to his own views about premarital sex, it most definitely does not apply in a book about King, a man who never voiced support for anything of the kind.
The book is worth reading, but I'd probably suggest getting it from the library, just because it'll annoy you to own such a crazy and far-out interpretation of history. I'm hoping another King scholar will take up this same project, but that he/she will do so in a manner more befitting for one of our nation's great heroes.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Good Introduction, Not an Academic Work Though
I was contemplating not reviewing Michael Dyson's work because some of the other reviews hit the nail right on the head, however I suppose it is good to reiterate. Read more
Published 11 months ago by S. J. Boatwright
Great
The book was in great shape. Almost like new! The shipping was quick and got to me in time. Would go with them again.
Published 12 months ago by Mj22
Flawed
An uneven book marred by bad chapters. For instance Chapter 9 tries to relate King to rappers. Did Dr. King swear and use profanities in his speeches from the pulpit? Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mike B
Worth reading, but flawed
Michael Eric Dyson intends to reveal the "real" Martin Luther King, Jr., whom he posits was a much more radical figure than he is currently remembered as being. Read more
Published on February 8, 2009 by Elizabeth A. Root
Testify!
I find it very refreshing when a product of multiculturalism throws a wrench in the system and violently turns against his masters. Read more
Published on January 26, 2008 by Alyosha
An interesting expose
I agree with Dr. King's message of harmony and peace. At the same time I can appreciate Dyson's exposure of aspects of King's personal life that most authors do not address (an... Read more
Published on August 8, 2006 by Interested Observer
Fascinating
I have always been fascinated with Dr. King as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century. I love the work that Dr. Read more
Published on June 18, 2004 by Stephen Akinduro
libelous work written by pseudo-intellectual
I picked up this book expecting a fresh approach and analysis of Dr. King apart from the obligatory images we're force-fed each new year. Read more
Published on January 26, 2004 by LaNeshaJ
be ready for analysis, not simply historical biography
This book was not what I expected, but enjoyed regardless. I particularly liked his idea of banning the 'I Have a Dream' speech from public media. Read more
Published on January 19, 2004 by Jerry Morrow
whoa
Much is made of dyson's intellectual prowess; this just goes to show you that all things are relative. Read more
Published on December 1, 2003 by _porterhouse
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
"I am a mother with six kids," says the beautiful ebony-skinned woman adorned in batik-print African dress and silver loop earrings. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
psychic doppelganger, revisionist amnesia, repentant amnesia, overall military population, subversive exaggeration, resistant amnesia, radical remnant, artful duplicity, racial compensation, holiday legislation, challenging legacy, rescue movement, unconscious racists, many white liberals, racial redemption, major instinct, black freedom struggle, holiday bill, unearned suffering, civil rights veterans, black suffering, racial revolution, black religion, poor black communities, black popular culture Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Martin Luther King, Boston University, Coretta King, Andrew Young, New York, Coretta Scott King, Christian Coalition, Jesse Jackson, Dexter King, Supreme Court, Nobel Peace Prize, Bayard Rustin, Black Power, National Baptist Convention, Ella Baker, Gulf War, Ralph Abernathy, Edgar Hoover, Operation Breadbasket, Time Warner, White House, James Bevel, Julian Bond, Operation Rescue, World War New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
"I am a mother with six kids," says the beautiful ebony-skinned woman adorned in batik-print African dress and silver loop earrings. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
psychic doppelganger, revisionist amnesia, repentant amnesia, overall military population, subversive exaggeration, resistant amnesia, radical remnant, artful duplicity, racial compensation, holiday legislation, challenging legacy, rescue movement, unconscious racists, many white liberals, racial redemption, major instinct, black freedom struggle, holiday bill, unearned suffering, civil rights veterans, black suffering, racial revolution, black religion, poor black communities, black popular culture Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Martin Luther King, Boston University, Coretta King, Andrew Young, New York, Coretta Scott King, Christian Coalition, Jesse Jackson, Dexter King, Supreme Court, Nobel Peace Prize, Bayard Rustin, Black Power, National Baptist Convention, Ella Baker, Gulf War, Ralph Abernathy, Edgar Hoover, Operation Breadbasket, Time Warner, White House, James Bevel, Julian Bond, Operation Rescue, World War New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 218
books:
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9
books
cite this book:
See all 9 books citing this book
- Martin Luther King, Jr by Martin Luther, Jr. King on 14 pages
- Martin Luther King, Jr.: Civil Rights Leader, Theologian, Orator (Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement, Vol 1-3) by David J. Garrow on 10 pages
- I Have A Dream by Martin Luther King Jr. on 10 pages
- A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King Jr. on 9 pages
- Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (Perennial Classics) by David Garrow on 8 pages
See all 218 books this book cites
- I May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr. by Michael Eric Dyson in Front Matter, Back Flap, and Back Cover
- Brown Eyed Handsome Man: The Life and Hard Times of Chuck Berry by Bruce Pegg in Back Matter
- One Nation Under God?: Religion and American Culture (CultureWork: A Book Series from the Center for Literacy and Cultural Studies at Harvard) by Marjorie Garber in Back Matter
- Reconsidering The Souls Of Black Folk: Thoughts On The Groundbreaking Classic Work Of W.e.b. Dubois by Stanley Crouch in Back Cover
- The Preacher King: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Word that Moved America by Richard Lischer in Back Cover
See all 9 books citing this book
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