# [Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story by Martin Luther King Jr (1957)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/950321.Stride_Toward_Freedom)

## TL;DR
The first book MLK wrote and I believe it's a very good intro to the civil rights movement, segregation and nonviolent resistance. He was a talented writer, I can see why people followed him. Just disregard the religious parts if that's not your thing.

## Opinion
I never read anything from MLK, besides watching the "I have a dream" speech many years ago. At the last MLK day Audible offered Stride Toward Freedom on the daily deals and I thought "why not?". If I knew it was so interesting I would have picked it up earlier.

The book is MLK's account of Montgomery's bus boycott, started by Rosa Park's refusal to cede her bus seat to a white man during the segregation after a lifetime of oppression. That "small" incident started the bus boycott by the city's black population that lasted 1 year, until the supreme court affirmed that the bus segregation was unconstitutional.

MLK explains how he got involved in the movement and ended up as its spokesperson, he explains the segregation background, how it affected the life of black people in the city and the country, mentions several other cases of abuse, the tactics of the boycott, the legal challenges that came from it and the push back from white people.

His text is clear and direct, being elegant without unnecessary flourishes, reading it I can see why people would follow such man, he was a very persuasive orator. As an agnostic I disregard his religious experiences and disagree with the reasons of his his christian morals, but not with his values, he comes through as someone really looking to fight "evil" in the world and love humanity, blacks and whites alike, and that's good enough for me.

The best part of the book, at least for me, is chapter 6, where he explains his intellectual path towards nonviolent resistance, citing the philosophers and doctrines he used to build his arguments, pointing the things he agreed upon and the things he didn't, never accepting everything as is, including his rejection of communism. His thought process is fascinating, his arguments very persuasive, his rhetoric mesmerizing, this chapter alone makes the book worthwhile.

Throughout the book one thing that impressed me was the fact that he wasn't sure of himself or completely fearless all the time, in fact he doubted his role and effectiveness for most of the boycott, questioned his actions and beliefs and almost broke down several times. I'm hoping he didn't write this for "impact", I choose to believe that he was trying to be candid, and for that I can admire him.

Lastly, I appreciate the fact that he wasn't looking for a solution only from heavens or from the federal government, he preached that the "negros" (his words) should take action in their own hands, actively resisting the injustices they suffered without violence. He did believe that society's institutions could and should have had an active role in the process, but they didn't because people in those institutions were taught that "segregation was the right way". To fight this he proposed to attack with two weapons: education and legislation.

Education would teach people why segregation was wrong, fighting the internal barriers for an harmonious live between black and white, showing them how the situation was morally unjustifiable. Legislation would control the external expression of segregation, curbing violent action and offering lawful ways to address the injustices.

I believe I learned a lot with this small book, I was unable to close it until I've finished. It doesn't matter that I disagree with his faith, that's a small issue, the core of his fight, that everybody should be treated fairly, no matter the colour of their skin, is the really important thing, and his method to achieve that, nonviolent resistance, is something I admire, even if I have my doubts about its effectiveness and if I would be able to follow it if I suffered the same kind of injustice.

## Notes about the Audible version
It was read by JD Jackson and I really liked his work, he crafted a nice accent for MLK and added flavourful southern accents when needed. I speed it up to 1.5x because the regular pace is a bit too preachy for my taste, but that's a personal preference.