On MLK Jr's Birthday: Nyerere and Martin - questions linger

On MLK Jr's Birthday: Nyerere and Martin - questions linger

Nyani Ngabu

Nyani Ngabu

Platinum Member
Joined
May 15, 2006
Posts
94,296
Reaction score
122,540
Today marks the 80th birthday of the late great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As I sit here listening to his speeches being played on the radio, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of relationship did he and the Pan-Africanist leaders of Africa of that epoch had. I know Dr. King attended Ghana's independence day celebrations which suggests there was/ were some kind of a relationship between him the Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah.

I've heard speeches of him mentioning the struggles of the South African people. I've heard him in his speeches mentioning African cities such as Johanesburg, Nairobi, Accra, etc...

One thing I noticed, (and trust me I've done my fair share of research) is so far I haven't found anything that suggests any kind of relationship that Dr. King had with Julius Nyerere. Knowing what these two stood for you would think that there was heavy correspondence between them during the 50s and the 60s.

Does anyone know if there was any relationship between Dr. King and Nyerere?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This is quite interesting... with all my interest in history and world affairs, this never came into my mind.
Its time to do some research on this one.
 
WomenofSubstanc said:
This is quite interesting... with all my interest in history and world affairs, this never came into my mind.
Its time to do some research on this one.
Click to expand...

I've gone to the King Center....I've seen some of the King papers that are at Morehouse but still I haven't come across anything of such. Now the King papers are a lot so maybe something is buried in them somewhere that I didn't get to see.
 
Nyani Ngabu said:
I've gone to the King Center....I've seen some of the King papers that are at Morehouse but still I haven't come across anything of such. Now the King papers are a lot so maybe something is buried in them somewhere that I didn't get to see.
Click to expand...

Nafikiri sababu kubwa ilikuwa King hakujiingiza katika Pan African movement. Struggle zake zili-base sana kwenye non-violent movements na mambo ya morality. Nyerere alikuwa full blood kwenye Pan Africanism.

Na hata hapa Marekani ukienda kwenye vikao vya Pan African movements unaweza usisikie jina la Martin King.
 
Zakumi said:
Nafikiri sababu kubwa ilikuwa King hakujiingiza katika Pan African movement. Struggle zake zili-base sana kwenye non-violent movements na mambo ya morality. Nyerere alikuwa full blood kwenye Pan Africanism.

Na hata hapa Marekani ukienda kwenye vikao vya Pan African movements unaweza usisikie jina la Martin King.
Click to expand...

Pamoja na King kutokuwa militant, mimi nadhani stratergy yake ya civil disobedience na passive resistance ilikuwa effective zaidi ya hao militants ingawa naelewa kwa nini watu wengine walifuata falsafa ya "by any means necessary".....
 
Nyani Ngabu said:
Pamoja na King kutokuwa militant, mimi nadhani stratergy yake ya civil disobedience na passive resistance ilikuwa effective zaidi ya hao militants ingawa naelewa kwa nini watu wengine walifuata falsafa ya "by any means necessary".....
Click to expand...

Militants are unsung heros. Walifanya distubance ambazo zilisaidia kupitisha mabadiliko ya haraka haraka. Lakini kwa sababu ya stance zao, baada ya mabadiliko hawakupewa nafasi.
 
Nyani Ngabu said:
Pamoja na King kutokuwa militant, mimi nadhani stratergy yake ya civil disobedience na passive resistance ilikuwa effective zaidi ya hao militants ingawa naelewa kwa nini watu wengine walifuata falsafa ya "by any means necessary".....
Click to expand...

Effectiveness could be a relative term ,dont you think so NN?

Martin Luther's religious background must have had a lot of influence on his passive non-violent strategy which many would interpret as a weak form of struggle.Ofcourse he was very much infleunced by Mahatma Gandhi - who was that kind of civil rights leader who would only advocate for the rights of a certain class of people (the upper caste) who were facing apartheid discrimination in South Africa and later on amongst his Hindu community in India.His passive resistance can never be said to have contributed to India's independence.
I also think that which strategy to adopt will depend on a number of factors - There is no way SA could have really gained independence for instance through mere passive resistance in absence of other means.
 
WomenofSubstanc said:
Effectiveness could be a relative term ,dont you think so NN?

Martin Luther's religious background must have had a lot of influence on his passive non-violent strategy which many would interpret as a weak form of struggle.Ofcourse he was very much infleunced by Mahatma Gandhi - who was that kind of civil rights leader who would only advocate for the rights of a certain class of people (the upper caste) who were facing apartheid discrimination in South Africa and later on amongst his Hindu community in India.His passive resistance can never be said to have contributed to India's independence.
I also think that which strategy to adopt will depend on a number of factors - There is no way SA could have really gained independence for instance through mere passive resistance in absence of other means.
Click to expand...

Absolutely! And that's why I said "nadhani" (I think). But now we can look back in retrospect and analyze, evaluate, and assess the efficacy of those stratergies.

But I wouldn't go as far as to say that SA wouldn't have gotten rid of Apartheid without violent resistance. SA didn't have a Martin Luther King Jr.
 
Last edited:
Nyani Ngabu said:
Absolutely! And that's why I said "nadhani" (I think). But now we can look back in retrospect and analyze, evaluate, and assess the efficacy of those stratergies.

But I wouldn't as far as to say that SA wouldn't have gotten rid of Apartheid without violent resistance. SA didn't have a Martin Luther King Jr.
Click to expand...

In SA, Desmond Tutu alifakuwa na strategies kama za Martin Luther King Jr. Lakini kufikia 1984 alianza ku-give up.
 
WomenofSubstanc said:
Effectiveness could be a relative term ,dont you think so NN?

Martin Luther's religious background must have had a lot of influence on his passive non-violent strategy which many would interpret as a weak form of struggle.Ofcourse he was very much infleunced by Mahatma Gandhi - who was that kind of civil rights leader who would only advocate for the rights of a certain class of people (the upper caste) who were facing apartheid discrimination in South Africa and later on amongst his Hindu community in India.His passive resistance can never be said to have contributed to India's independence.
I also think that which strategy to adopt will depend on a number of factors - There is no way SA could have really gained independence for instance through mere passive resistance in absence of other means.
Click to expand...

Vile vile Martin Luther King Jr. alitoka kwenye familia ya well-do.
 
Zakumi said:
In SA, Desmond Tutu alifakuwa na strategies kama za Martin Luther King Jr. Lakini kufikia 1984 alianza ku-give up.
Click to expand...

What separated MLK Jr. and others was his eloquence. The man had A-1 eloquence. He was poetic, he had that barritone voice, and spoke the language that common folks could understand and relate to.

I've listened to Tutu and even attended some of his lectures at Morehouse where he was a visitng professor. Hey, he is no Martin Luther King Jr...
 
This is an interesting topic.I for one would have thought that this people would have been in close contact during the struggle as they both shared the same vision of ensuring equality prevailed and that they were all against any form of oppression.

Their might be some good reasons as to why this people were never in contact! lets find out!
 
Nyani Ngabu said:
What separated MLK Jr. and others was his eloquence. The man had A-1 eloquence. He was poetic, he had that barritone voice, and spoke the language that common folks could understand and relate to.

I've listened to Tutu and even attended some of his lectures at Morehouse where he was a visitng professor. Hey, he is no Martin Luther King Jr...
Click to expand...

Ndio jamaa alikuwa mzuri kwenye kuzungumza. Lakini kuzungumza ni moja theology ya preacher wengi weusi hapa Marekani. Lakini failure yao kubwa ni ku-elevate status ya mtu mweusi.
 
Zakumi said:
Ndio jamaa alikuwa mzuri kwenye kuzungumza. Lakini kuzungumza ni moja theology ya preacher wengi weusi hapa Marekani. Lakini failure yao kubwa ni ku-elevate status ya mtu mweusi.
Click to expand...

Don't forget he was also a philosopher and and an intellectual of repute.
 
Well.... to me Tutu could have been MLK of South Africa in a way ......I have had encounters with this eminent man and I must say I have always been impressed by his inspirational talks ,not forgetting ofcourse his great sense of humour.
 
Zakumi said:
Nyie wote Alma mater wa Morehouse ndio maana unampigia mademe. Kwenye falsafa alikuwa short.
Click to expand...

Hahahahahaha...mimi sio alumnus wa Morehouse but I have tramendous respect for that institution....Lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Community

Regional Communities

Back
Top Bottom
Menu
Forums
New posts
Log in
Register