Using the Life of Martin Luther King., Jr., as a Study in Careers
By Lisa Frederiksen Bohannon
After America’s celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life this past Monday, it is helpful for students to use his life experiences to see how following one’s belief, dreams and passions turns an eclectic mix of talents and formal degrees into a career path that is anything but a straight line. Often students believe you go to college and then you go to work in a career directly related to your degree. If you don't follow that path, some feel it is not making the best use of one's college experience. Instead, it is important that students understand that “careers” can be varied, taking many twists and turns along the way.
That same year, King was ordained at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta and became its Assistant Pastor, following in his grandfather and father’s footsteps.
Before Martin Luther King, Jr., pursued his PASTORAL vocation, he graduated in 1948 from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, with a B.A. degree in Sociology. According to the American Sociological Association , a degree in Sociology can be used to launch careers in “the world of business, industry, and organizations,” which certainly proved to be the case for Martin Luther King, Jr.
Later, he enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, graduating in 1951 with a Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.) degree. Martin Luther King, Jr., then went on to Boston University, where he was awarded the Doctorate of Philosophy in Systematic Theology on June 5, 1955.
When Dr. King accepted the call to Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where he moved with his wife, Coretta Scott King , it put him in ‘the right place at the right time’ as circumstances unfolded. Circumstances that would change the country.
While in Montgomery, Dr. King became active in the local chapter of the NAACP and another now well-known person, Rosa Parks, was secretary of it. The Montgomery Chapter of the NAACP had been looking for a test case to challenge Montgomery’s segregated bus seating laws and the Women’s Political Council, headed by Jo Ann Robinson (who was active in Dexter Avenue Baptist Church), initiated the idea of a one-day bus boycott to protest Ms. Park’s arrest for refusing to give up her seat in the first row of the Negro section on a Montgomery city bus.
On the evening of the one-day bus boycott to protest Rosa Parks’ arrest, the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) was formed and Martin Luther King, Jr., was elected President. Dr. King’s amazing talent as a SPEAKER and WRITER was critical for progress in the Civil Rights Movement which launched one of the key aspects of his life’s work as a COMMUNITY ORGANIZER and ACTIVIST.
During the ensuing years, until his death in 1968, Dr. King traveled over six million miles, spoke more than 2,500 times and was arrested thirty times for his activism and leadership in the Civil Rights Movement. Along the way, he wrote five books and multiple articles.
Martin Luther King, Jr., was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He was just thirty-five years old.
What was the young Martin thinking when he was in college earning his degree in Sociology? Could he ever have imagined that the government and schools across the country would close down to honor him on his birthday? Can anyone really predict where their lives will take them based on where they live, whom they meet or what they choose for their college major?
Additional resources:
The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute at Stanford University – the official home of the Martin Luther King, Jr., papers and offers “Liberation Curriculum”
Lesson Plan to Use Dr. King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail”
Listen to the audio of Dr. King’s memorable “I Have a Dream” speech given during the March on Washington, D.C., for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963.
If are new to exploring careers with your students, visit CareerKids.com, where you will find a wide variety of guidance and life skills materials for K-adult.