In Presenting This Thesis Or Dissertation As a Partial
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
In presenting this thesis or dissertation as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree from Emory University, I hereby grant to Emory University and its agents the non-exclusive license to archive, make accessible, and display my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known, including display on the world wide web. I understand that I may select some access restrictions as part of the online submission of this thesis or dissertation. I retain all ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. Signature: _____________________________ ______________ Jermaine M. McDonald Date The Canonization of Martin Luther King Jr.: Collective Memory, Civil Religion, and the Reconstruction of an American Hero By Jermaine M. McDonald Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Division of Religion Ethics and Society _________________________________________ Steven M. Tipton Advisor _________________________________________ Elizabeth M. Bounds Committee Member _________________________________________ Dianne M. Stewart Committee Member Accepted: _________________________________________ Lisa A. Tedesco, Ph.D. Dean of the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies ___________________ Date The Canonization of Martin Luther King Jr.: Collective Memory, Civil Religion, and the Reconstruction of an American Hero By Jermaine M. McDonald Master of Divinity, Virginia Union University, 2006 Bachelor of Science, University of Virginia, 2001 Advisor: Steven M. Tipton, PhD An abstract of A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies of Emory University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate Division of Religion Ethics and Society 2015 Abstract The Canonization of Martin Luther King Jr. : Collective Memory, Civil Religion, and the Reconstruction of an American Hero By Jermaine M. McDonald Today we commonly accept that Martin Luther King Jr. is a national hero who embodies America as one nation under God with liberty and justice for all. This has not always been the case. According to a Gallup poll, in August 1966 King had a 33% favorable to 63% unfavorable rating. By contrast, his popularity rating in August 2011 was 94% favorable, a complete reversal.1 This dissertation explores the "canonization" of King in American society by tracing the process by which he has been elevated to the status of an unquestionable national hero. I use and refine theories of collective memory and civil religion to evaluate four critical cultural moments that have established and reaffirmed this elevation. Those critical moments are, first, the thirteen-year public debates that resulted in the establishment of a national holiday in King’s honor; second, the Reagan- inspired, conservative reimagining of King as a colorblind priest; third, the creation of the National King Memorial in the pantheon of American heroes; and, fourth, the dedication ceremonies of that memorial which sought to remind the nation of King’s commitment to economic justice and equality. Taken together, these critical cultural moments in the canonization of Dr. King reveal the discursive, contested nature of collective memory and civil religion in American society as individuals and groups struggle to name and shape shared social and moral values. 1 Jeffrey M. Jones. "Americans Divided on Whether King's Dream Has Been Realized." http://www.gallup.com/poll/149201/Americans-Divided-Whether-King- Dream-Realized.aspx. Last accessed August 26, 2011. The Canonization of Martin Luther King Jr.: Collective Memory, Civil Religion, and the Reconstruction of an American Hero A Dissertation By Jermaine M. McDonald Master of Divinity, Virginia Union University, 2006 Bachelor of Science, University of Virginia, 2001 Advisor: Steven M. Tipton, PhD Towards the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies of Emory University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate Division of Religion Ethics and Society 2015 Table of Contents Chapter 1 – Revisiting the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr........................................... 1 Collective Memory ................................................................................................................................................... 5 Civil Religion ............................................................................................................................................................ 20 What's In This Text ............................................................................................................................................... 31 Chapter 2 – Thirteen Years in the Making: The Struggle for a National King Holiday .. 35 Early Advocacy for a King Holiday ................................................................................................................. 36 Congressional Hearings in 1979 ...................................................................................................................... 41 House of Representatives Debate King Holiday Bill in 1979 ............................................................... 47 Public Activism for the King Holiday 1980-81 .......................................................................................... 52 House Subcommittee Hearing – February 23, 1982 ............................................................................... 58 House of Representatives Pass the King Holiday Bill – August 2, 1983 .......................................... 68 U.S. Senate Debates the King Holiday Bill – October 1983 ................................................................... 73 Summary ................................................................................................................................................................... 83 Chapter 3 – The Colorblind Priest: Martin Luther King Jr. as a Conservative Cultural Icon .......................................................................................................................... 86 President Reagan and the King Holiday Signing Ceremony ................................................................. 92 The Reagan Misappropriation of King's Legacy ........................................................................................ 98 Martin Luther King Jr. and the Colorblind Thesis ................................................................................. 107 Conservatives Reclaim King’s Conservative Legacy ............................................................................. 111 Black Conservatives with Special Ties to Martin Luther King Jr. .................................................... 126 Summary ................................................................................................................................................................ 135 Chapter 4 – Set in Stone: The Making of the National Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial .............................................................................................................................. 140 Bringing the King Memorial to Fruition .................................................................................................... 141 Elements of the King Memorial ..................................................................................................................... 147 The Quotations on the Inscription Wall .................................................................................................... 150 Arc of the Moral Universe ................................................................................................................................... 151 Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness ........................................................................................................... 153 Unarmed Truth and Unconditional Love ..................................................................................................... 156 Make a Career of Humanity ............................................................................................................................... 158 Moral Example of the World ............................................................................................................................. 159 A World Perspective .............................................................................................................................................. 161 Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere .......................................................................... 162 The Audacity to Believe ....................................................................................................................................... 164 It is Necessary to Love Peace and Sacrifice For It ................................................................................... 164 The Ultimate Measure of a Man ....................................................................................................................... 166 Develop an Overriding Loyalty to Mankind ............................................................................................... 167 Until Justice Runs Down Like Water .............................................................................................................