Dr Martin Luther King and the American Civil Rights Movement

Charismatic and institutional perspectives

Abstract

The paper applies Weber's idea of charismatic authority to the role of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the American struggle for racial equality and social justice. Viewing Dr. King as a paradigmatic example of the charismatic leader, the author recounts a bit of the story of his central role in the American civil rights struggle from the mid 1950s to his death in 1968. The thesis of the paper is that much of Dr. King's work and his legacy is well explained in Weber's framework. In particular, some questions are put at the core of this research: Do Weber's ideal types capture the possibilities for the role of charismatic leadership in a society dramatically more dynamic, informed and democratic than Germany in the early 20th century? Can Weber's deep insights be usefully expanded by attention to the important roles of professional and private corporate authority in America? The conclusion of the paper claims that contemporary life permits us to imagine a future in which the spark of charism need not be extinguished in the name of social stability but can remain an integrated force for change and ongoing transformation, whether that happens primarily on the individual level or the level social structure.