In Carson’s Article, “MLK Charismatic Leadership in Mass Struggle” I find it interesting that even a figure we hold in such high regard and a movement we deem just and important has been twisted in myth throughout history. I find this interesting because previously we have discussed controversial figures and events/America wrongdoings as twisted in myth. Dr. Martin Luther King Junior is a figure we learn about who is at the center of the civil rights movement in America during the 1950’s and 60’s for African American Equality. We view him in general as a just peaceful leader who fought for a righteous cause. However in the article I found it fascinating how Carson believes that we attribute and idolize MLK too much.”Because the myth emphasizes the individual at the expense of the black movement, it not only exaggerates King’s historical importance but also distorts his actual, considerable contribution to the movement”. Due to this we don’t focus on the movement as a whole we more focus on MLK as an important figure. The Article talks about how many people also have a false idea about who MLK was as a leader. Most people think he was just a charismatic leader. He had a few of the aspects of charismatic leaders but he also strategists, used ideology, and institutional leadership. As we have learned that a leader has to have substance behind their charism and charismatic leaders aren’t automatically good leaders. Yet another area where we fail is thinking of the Civil rights movement and MLKs contribution as just emotionally charged speeches and “blind faith” as opposed to creating a community and the strategies behind that. This article left me with a few questions. Is literally everything in American history spun in to a myth even if it isn’t for the creation of patriotism or the eradication of American wrong doing? What influence does MLK’s leadership have today during the current BLM movement?
I also was surprised to read that Carson believes that we idolize MLK too much. I never thought about the fact that there are many invisible leaders that we forget to mention from the movement. MLK is an extremely influential individual to the movement, but this also makes me question whether leaders in our history are truly as great as we make them out to be.
You touched on Carson points out that even someone as good as MLK can be inaccurately represented in American History, which is honestly disheartening. Do you think that by focusing on leaders such as MLK, the US government can promote his ideas of peaceful resistance, which is much easier to “quell”? It allows people to idolize not only the change MLK made but the way that he did it. In this way, I think that the BLM movement has been influenced by King, and his mannerisms of peaceful protest, and I am wondering if this is a result of him being considered the prominent hero in the Civil rights movement.
As we continue to read PHUS I feel as if there is an ongoing theme that the leaders we focus on and the people we idolize in American culture and education are not as great and heroic as we think. MLK is very well known but I feel as if the message behind his movement is not as prevalent as it should be.