A review by krisandburn
To the Promised Land: Martin Luther King and the Fight for Economic Justice by Michael K. Honey

4.5

Once upon a time in High School I had to do an essay on a person that inspired me. Whilst many of my peers chose some popstar or football (soccer) player or other, I chose Martin Luther King. Unfortunately, I did not remember anything I found out about him whilst researhing for that all those years ago, but when I saw this book I knew I would love to revisit this extraordinary and inspiring individual.

This is not just a book on Martin Luther King. It looks at a very turbulent time in not only black history, but in the history of the United States in general. Poverty was a nationwide issue, and not only for the black community, but across the board. The black population were still not seen as equal to the whites and mechanisation caused a slew of job losses. However, Martin Luther King fought for civil rights for all the poor, not just the African American community.

This book highlights the economic struggles of the times against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. The inequality makes you angry and breaks your heart. Martin Luther King remained an example of non-violence throughout, eventhough he was portrayed differently in the press. How can you stay calm amongst such hate and misunderstanding?

I learned so much about black and American history from this book. It has a clear timeline without being too structured. The various union and party abbreviations all blended into each other after a while, but I do not think that mattered too much.

This is one of those books that leaves you feeling a little bit wiser than when you started it and in my book that is always a good thing.