Morality Plus Intelligence
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born as Michael King Jr. in Georgia on January 15, 1929. He and his father eventually adopted the name Martin Luther after the German advocate for change in certain Catholic religious practices. Dr. King’s father became the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, in place of his wife’s father, A.D. Williams. He began school at age five, skipped the ninth and eleventh grades, and began college when he was just fifteen at Morehouse College. Unlike his family, young Dr. King questioned religion and became uncomfortable with certain aspects of it. His views changed, however, and he attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, where he further developed his spiritual views under Benjamin E. Mays. Like his father, Dr. King advocated for racial equality, using Christianity as a focus for change. While working on his doctorate degree, Dr. King married Coretta Scott and had four children. When he was only 25 years old, he completed his degree after becoming pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. After his involvement in many civil rights movements, in 1963 Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Two years later, he marched a procession across the Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, only to be met by barricades and police. He suggested everyone peacefully pray and turn back, causing further support for the Voting Rights Act of 1965. On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated after one final speech the day before ("Martin Luther King Jr. Biography”). His legacy as a peaceful and inspiring advocate for equality has lasted many years, and will continue to inspire those who continue to highlight the inequality many people still face because of their race. Dr. King began attending school at a young age, obtaining an education that many African Americans could not pursue because of inequality. Because of this, he was able to understand the importance and impact that education has on social relations. He understood that education spreads the awareness of the need for social change and equality for a more peaceful society. As a student at Morehouse College, Dr. King once stated in a paper titled “The Purpose of Education” that “the function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.” A person with good character cannot demonstrate their qualities and ideas without the necessary education to reach out and inspire people, as Martin Luther King Jr. did with the “fresh and skillful rhetoric” he exhibited during his first speech as the leader of the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama (“Martin Luther King Jr. Biography”). His quote rings true today as well, as education has evolved into incorporating morals and character driven themes into the daily activities of students and teachers. In my high school, each month, the staff would demonstrate a certain character, such as integrity, by defining it and speaking about examples of integrity during the morning announcements. Sometimes there are intelligent students who do not understand good character and the qualities of a good citizen, which is what the school attempts to demonstrate and instill in students. Intelligence is important, but one must have good character to demonstrate good morals in a society. Scientists are intelligent, but they cannot just begin immoral experiments in order to demonstrate their intelligence. As a society, we do not condone harmful or dangerous experiments — this is due to maintaining good character values.
Works Cited
"Martin Luther King Jr. Biography." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2016. <http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-king-jr-9365086>.