Walter's Reviews > Why We Can't Wait

This is one of the - if not the - best of King's books, as it details the crucial Birmingham campaign and features at its heart the incredible Letter from Birmingham Jail. Although always positive in tone, it deals with the realities of a campaign that is now viewed as pivotal to the success of the American Civil Rights Movement but that was anything but assured in its own time. That King acknowledges this reality while placing it in a constructive context all the while advancing his positive, forward-looking message is a testament to his vision and incredibly forgiving perseverance.

Whitewashed now by its success and the sands of time, most people remember Birmingham as an unqualified success, if at all, yet it was by no means that. It was a difficult campaign - with the city's incredibly intransigent Jim Crow establishment, its fiery Public Safety Director Bull Connor, its disunity within the then-Negro community, etc. - that came very close to failing. Had it failed, the Civil Rights Movement could have been dealt a virtually fatal blow. Instead, a key points in the struggle, King and his partners in the leadership of the campaign were able to come together and make progress in daunting cirmcumstances.

One example is the controversial decision to use children as demonstrators. A highly controversial tactic, it was they key to turning the tide in what was until that point a failing campaign. It ended up producing several important outcomes, including revitalizing and actually pushing the campaign over the top and also evidencing that the children of Birmingham actually led their parents by their quiet, courageous example. Initially, King was vilified for approving the Rev. James Bevel's strategy, but he proved stalwart in the face of widespread internal and external criticism and eventually victorious.

Another misperception about the campaign is that it was an unqualified success, which is was not by any means. Its victories were mainly symbolic and the practical effects were minor for some time due to the obfuscation and deliberately slow implementation of the agreement by the city leaders. King deals with this diplomatically but clearly and with evident disappointment and pain. It turns out that Birminigham's true contributions were strategic in nature, establishing the pivotal assault of the thereafter crumbling institution of Jim Crow.

It's these gritty yet honestly conveyed insights - in addition to the outstanding Letter from Birmingham Jail that is the heart and soul of the book - that make this such a worthwhile and satisfying read. It's hard to read about the discrimination and racism, but the story of the eventual triumph ultimately overshadows this, with the result that the overall story is an uplifting and inspiring one. One sees here in all of his moral and pragmatic glory a leader who is committed to effecting positive change and yet honest enough to share his own challenges and doubts.

Yes, there are a few challenges with the book, including that King sometimes is too generous and constructive about certain events (whereas Branch or Garrow and others have been more revealing), but it is a minor annoyance compared with the incredible story within the story and the towering moral leadership - especially as demonstrated in the Letter from Birmingham Jail - that is evidenced herein.

As I read this book for the third time and discovered new insights as well as appreciated old ones anew, I couldn't help but compare MLK to our current leadership and, frankly, be saddened. There are few people of his level of courage and conviction today, but there is a shining example for them to emulate should they emerge, especially as captured in this book.

I recommend Why We Can't Wait highly to all who have a sincere interest in figuring out how to effect moral, positive change and to anyone who appreciates the importance of learning from history in order to fashion a better future.