Commemorating King

The first mass meeting of the Montgomery Improvement Association on December 5, 1955, attracted several thousand attendees. The proceedings began with two appropriate hymns, “Onward Christian Soldiers” and “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.” The newly elected president, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., was bold enough to describe the dilemma of black bus passengers and Rosa Park’s heroic act of civil disobedience committed just four days before. Aware that discussing these issues candidly could ignite bitter, violent outbursts, King appealed to the faith of the African-American community. He encouraged his listeners to believe in the power of biblical justice. King’s sermon went one step further than most of that day by encouraging them to act on their belief in divine justice and use the American tradition of legal protest.