Martin Luther King - Looking at the Leadership of Martin Luther King

As a minister, King had the foundation of a persuasive leader who understood the need for freedom. This spirit of freedom became his voice for speaking up for his people. Wendell Charles Beane (1988) in his description of the life of King states, "It was in the Black Church that the social, economic, political, but especially, the religious bedrock for future civil disobedience in civil rights campaigns were found" (p. 60). In the Black Church, King became the voice for the spirit of freedom for his people. In the Black Church, he decided the right way to fight for civil rights were through nonviolence. King believed he was to be the voice to challenge the civil rights laws and the current American system. He believed in a Supreme God who could make his dreams come true which he voiced in his persuasive speech called "I Have a Dream." King knew the importance of shared values in persuasive speaking. King realized he needed drive and spirit to obtain devotion and respect from his listeners (Sabl, 1999, 36). King used his ministry and his belief in Christian charity in his persuasiveness to use nonviolent actions in his civil rights movement. King was an inspirational speaker who was willing to risk all that he had to help his people. Karlene Kerfoot 2005 in her article, "The Leader's Challenge: Meetings, Spiritual Energy, and Sneaker Ration, discusses how some charismatic leaders can put their neck into a moose and still come out on the winning side (81). Perhaps part of his ability to do this was due to his Christian beliefs. King's Christian beliefs were a major part of who he was and why he believed the United States should give African American their civil rights. He was a charismatic preacher who knew the how to use his charisma to grab the attention of his audience.

Looking at the Leadership of Martin Luther King

King had charisma, which made people stop and listen to what he had to say. King knew how to get and keep people's attention. One reason people listened to King was that he had a charismatic personality that inspired others. In the speech King gave called "I Have a Dream," he caught the attention of the audience, which made people stop what they were doing to listen. King believed in his work. An important point in why he was so persuasive is because he did not want to be a civil rights advocate nor did he want to lead his people toward political freedom, but he believed he was called for this purpose. David Garrow (2001) states, "Martin Luther King Jr. began his public career as a civil rights activist with considerable reluctance