"First in Love:" Love in the Rhetoric of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2012)
Undergraduate: Isabelle Hale
Faculty Advisor: Jordynn Jack
Department: English
In a world tainted by the turmoil of social injustice, misunderstanding, and greedy stratification, leaders today struggle still to find the key to seamless interaction and peaceful diplomacy. Though often disregarded as romantic and mundane, perhaps we need look no further than one thing: Love.
In his 1968 sermon, “Drum Major Instinct,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “I want you to be first in love, moral excellence, and generosity…a new definition of greatness… comes not from favoritism but from fitness.” In this project, I will analyze various primary sources and the range of contexts in which King utilizes this ideal of “love” in his rhetoric. Considering love as a vehicle for mending the societal woes of present day, this research will aim to promote an insightful approach to change as painted by this historical Great.
Various critics have reprimanded King’s missions as being violent, radical, and aggressive. I hope to smooth over those misinterpretations in my work by presenting a number of secondary sources that validate King’s peaceable promotion of loving transformation.
Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm once said, "We must be extremists for justice and for love…We must be extremists in fulfilling Dr. King's dream." With this chord of hope resounding, I argue that the logos, pathos, and ethos associated with King’s rhetoric on “love” must bring light to our current situation and garner appreciation for, and commitment to, peaceable change today.