…from his “autobiography,” which was put together and edited superbly by Clayborne Carlson.
Early on in the bio, King shares a candid introspection from his college years. “I revolted…against the emotionalism of much Negro religion, the shouting and stamping. I didn’t understand it, and it embarrassed me. I often say that if we, as a people, had as much religion in our hearts and souls as we have in our legs and feet, we could change the world.”
He also reveals an inclination toward pantheism, a nature-themed interpretation of divinity. “Every day I would sit on the edge of the campus by the side of the river and watch the beauties of nature. My friend, in this experience, I saw God. I saw him in birds of the air, the leaves of the tree, the movement of the rippling waves…”
As a college student, MLK contrasted capitalism with communism, and was generally a champion of the former, though he was not afraid to address its shortcomings. “Capitalism is always in danger of inspiring men to be more concerned about making a living than making a life. We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles, rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to humanity.”
