MLK Class - RELS 3300 - Spring 2019
Martin Luther King Jr.: The Rhetoric & Theology of Nonviolent Social Change!
5 points – Class Participation in class discussion forums (1 point per post, no maximum)
5 points – Citizenship Credit (participation in outside-of-class activities, 5 events x 1 points each = 5 points)
10 points – Update 3-27-19 - take home quiz
20 points – Paper 1: King’s Influences, Inspiration, Collaboration, & Contexts – Prompts will be provided
20 points – Paper 2: King’s Rhetoric – Prompts will be provided
20 points – Paper 3: King’s Religion – Prompts will be provided
20 points – Final Creative Project
Course Schedule (subject to change):
Part 1
Readings: I Have A Dream: (v-62); Autobiography: (1-134)
W 1/16 Introductions; The Movement Made Martin: Influences & Underpinnings; Religion Had
Link for Slides
Lecture part one (volume is loud, turn down on your device/browser/etc): https://youtu.be/uE-By1XDoJk
Lecture part two (volume is loud, turn down on your device/browser/etc):
Lecture part three: https://youtu.be/j38_cw7M2pE
To Become Real: The Kitchen Table Prayer & King’s Many Theologies (& ours!)
The Kitchen Table Prayer sermon excerpt: https://youtu.be/DV7RqizoqJA
Su-M 1/20-21 Various MLK Day Activities Suggested for Citizenship Credit
W 1/23 Montgomery & the Meaning of “Militant” Nonviolence; Boycott
Lecture video: https://youtu.be/ZcEC3CfzIss
W 1/30 White Racism, White Participants, & White Privilege; Long Walk Home
Part 2 Readings: I Have A Dream: (63-111)
Autobiography: (135-269)
W 2/6 Nashville to Birmingham: Students Sit Down & Stand Up; The Time For Freedom; Paper 1 is due
W 2/13 Marching on Washington, Waking from Nightmares, Dreaming a New World
W 2/20 Selma: The bridge didn’t break; Selma
Part 3
Readings: I Have A Dream: (115-134, 153-165)
Autobiography: (270-332)
W 2/27 Malcolm & Martin, Black is Beautiful, & Black Power; Paper 2 is due
W 3/6 No Class – Spring Break
W 3/13 Peace/Beyond Vietnam: Breaking Silence; A Single Garment of Destiny: The Global & Cosmic King
W 3/20 Where Do We Go From Here: Poverty & Economic Justice
W 3/27 Memphis & the Mountaintop
Part 4
Readings: I Have A Dream: (135-152, 166-203); Autobiography: (333-370)
W 4/3 Music, Arts, & Movement: Soundtrack To A Revolution (Final project discussed); Paper 3 is due
W 4/10 King’s Sins & the War on King
W 4/17 Gender & Civil Rights: Past Misunderstandings & Unfinished Revolutions
W 4/24 Final projects due & presented in classroom “show & tell”
There is no final exam.
MLK Essay One - Influences, Inspirations, Contexts, and Collaborations
In your own words, what is this organization, event, movement’s, or person’s . . .
--contribution to the American civil rights movements
--connection to MLK
--perspective on the rhetoric & theology of nonviolent social change
--Conclude by explaining this person or movement’s value and appeal. Why might we want to learn more about this person or movement or topic?
Please cite your secondary sources using current MLA style. Hard copy due in class.
Please also post on your Ning blog.
Due February 6
MLK Essay Two – King’s Rhetoric
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to inspire your audience with your analysis of an iconic speech given by MLK. To do this, you will carefully read and listen to your selected speech several times. You will learn the text like a familiar song, so you might analyze its rhetorical effectiveness with confidence, from the perspective of an MLK scholar for the community of MLK scholars.
The successful paper will: establish an argument (including a clear thesis statement) that speaks to MLK’s use of rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, and pathos) in the form of specific rhetorical strategies that impact and inspire his hearers and readers. Specific rhetorical strategies discussed in class include: alliteration, rhyme or internal rhyme, repetition or anchor phrases, metaphor/simile, dialectical oppositions, and mixed in samples or shoutouts from scripture, saints, poets, and storytellers. You may notice even more strategies, any time that MLK uses his language and word choice to great effect, to fit one of the appeals, to impact the audience.
Audience: Your audience for this assignment is your peers in the class, your professors, and the community of MLK scholars who may disagree with your thesis or may not be aware of your rhetorical insights. Rhetoricians are always aware of audience, so you should assess the various audiences and contexts of the King speech you are analyzing. What was King’s purpose? Who was his audience? What was the movement context?
In this paper, students should
Demonstrate familiarity with the specific rhetorical appeals used by MLK, to show how and why those appears are consistent with MLK’s mission
Identify by name, the rhetorical strategies and stylistic choices made by MLK in his speeches
Show a scholarly understanding of MLK’s movement context for each specific speech
Articulate a clear critical perspective on the speech as a rhetorical moment of a real movement, demonstrated by your strong thesis
Carefully incorporate quotations, summary, and paraphrase using attributive tags, quotation marks, and appropriate MLA citation style
Write in a strong personal style, showing the author’s investment in the assignment and adherence to standards of good writing that you have learned throughout your academic career
Description:
You are writing a thesis-driven rhetorical analysis of an iconic speech by MLK that shows its rhetorical strategies and rhetorical appeals. Your analysis should include a concise summary of the original text and context (no more than 150 words) and an analysis that supports your thesis and addresses the movement context of the original text.
You may choose your own text, but it must be an actual MLK movement speech (not just a writing), where you have access to the manuscript. Suggested texts from our book include: “Our God Is Marching On” (119); “A Time To Break The Silence” (135); “Where Do We Go From Here” (169); “The Drum Major Instinct” (180); and “I See The Promised Land” (193). Many other primary texts from movements we have studied can be found at the King Papers Project and the King Center websites. “I Have A Dream” and “Letter From A Birmingham Jail” are prohibited topics, due to how widely they have already been analyzed by the larger community of rhetorical MLK scholars.
Your final essay should be between 700 to 1000 words (up to 1500 words acceptable), double spaced in Times New Roman 12 font, MLA format. No works cited is needed for texts from our textbook, but internal page citations are. Include a works cited for texts accessed online.
Due Date:
MLK Essay Three – King’s Theology
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to inspire your audience with your interpretation of an MLK sermon or speech. To do this, you will carefully read and listen to your selected sermon or speech several times. You will listen for the voice of God in the King text, or if you are an atheist/agnostic, for references to the idea of God.
Where is God in this sermon/speech? Who is God in this sermon/speech? How does MLK use the Biblical text to illuminate his points? What theological ideas and concepts do you see referenced in the message? How can you apply your growing understanding of theology to interpret the speech as a theological document.
The successful paper will: establish an argument (including a clear thesis statement) that speaks to MLK’s use of theology in his sermon or speech. The more you can reference things learned from our class lectures and discussions, the assigned course readings (especially the autobiography), theological vocabulary words/concepts, your outside secondary readings, or your own religious/church experience.
Specific theological ideas, theories, or figures that are pertinent to this project include: social gospel, liberal evangelical, Black Church tradition, Liberation Theology, power of prayer, person and personality of God (personalism), immanence vs. transcendence, academic philosophy/theology, major 20th century figures who were Kingian conversation partners (Thurman, Mays, Niebuhr, Tillich, Barth, Nietzsche, Hegel, etc.).
Audience: Your audience for this assignment is your peers in the class, your professor, and the community of MLK scholars, especially academic theologians and people interested in topics at the intersection of church/religion and society. Theologians think into the text, through the text, and beyond the text to the greater meaning and purpose, so please be willing to be bold in your essay. It is acceptable in this paper to discuss your personal location in theology (liberal or conservative, atheist or apologist, Baptist or non-denominational or interfaith, etc.) and your religious or non-religious experience.
In this paper, students should
Demonstrate familiarity with at least one of the major theological or religious concepts introduced in this class (i.e. social gospel, etc, see list above)
Identify specific places in the sermon or speech pertinent to this paper, where King discusses God, the Bible, theology, Christian concepts of love, peace, and social justice, etc.
Articulate a clear perspective on the sermon/speech as a religious document, demonstrated by your strong thesis and demonstrating your own location in the theological or religious conversation
Carefully incorporate quotations, summary, and paraphrase using attributive tags, quotation marks, and appropriate MLA citation style
Write in a strong personal style, showing your personal investment in the assignment’s topic and adherence to standards of good writing that you have learned throughout your academic career
Description:
You are writing a thesis-driven theological interpretation of a sermon or speech by MLK that shows its theological or religious meaning to you personally and to your readers. Your interpretation should include a concise summary of the original text and context (Where, when, to whom) (of no more than 150 words) and an interpretation that supports your thesis and aims to honestly inspire your audience with the greater meaning.
Your final essay should be between 900-1200 words (up to 1500 words acceptable), double spaced in Times New Roman 12 font, MLA format. No works cited is needed for texts from our textbook, but internal page citations are. Include a works cited for texts accessed online. Due Date: Wednesday, April 3
Name: MLK Theology - Essay 3- Evaluation Sheet
Effort Points (2 possible)
__Paper is turned in on time (1)
__Paper appears to be the appropriate word length 700-1000 words -- slightly longer is acceptable (1)
____Total Effort Points
Quality Points (18 possible)
Student accomplishes these qualities in a successful manner:
Demonstrate familiarity with at least one major theological/religious concept from this class and King’s work as a minister/theologian/activist. (3 points)
Identify and analyze the places King discusses God, the Bible, theology, Christian concepts of love, peace, and justice, etc. (4 points)
Show a scholarly understanding of MLK’s context for each specific sermon/speech (2 points)
Articulate a clear perspective on the sermon/speech as a religious document, demonstrated by your strong thesis and demonstrating your own location in the theological or religious conversation (4 points)
Carefully incorporate quotations, summary, and paraphrase using attributive tags, quotation marks, and appropriate MLA citation style (3 points)
Write in a strong personal style, showing the author’s investment in the assignment and adherence to standards of good writing that you have learned throughout your academic career (2 points)
__Excellent (17-18)
__Very Good (15-16)
__Satisfactory (13-14)
__Needs Work - Student fails to accomplish a majority of the above qualities or otherwise shows a
serious lack of personal investment in their story or its presentation.
___Total Qualitiy Points
____Grade out of 20
Comments:
Extra Credit Papers/Blogs are allowed for students who may be concerned about their grade in the course