United Methodists Share MLK’s Dream

by United Methodist Communications

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was the face of the African American civil rights movement throughout the 1960s until his assassination on April 4, 1968.

The United Methodist Church recognizes the right of individuals to dissent when acting under the constraint of conscience and, after having exhausted all legal recourse, to resist or disobey laws that they deem to be unjust or that are discriminately enforced. Therefore, many United Methodists joined King in his march toward equality, and in his wake, those United Methodist voices continue to advocate for justice for all, as their faith calls them to.

In this video series we meet some of the United Methodists who walked with Dr. King and share his dream. Click the photos to view each video.

The Rev. James Lawson

The Rev. Jim Lawson was a friend and fellow “warrior of peace” with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He played a prominent role in the civil rights movement.

Dorothy Height

Height marched at major civil rights rallies, sat onstage with King when he delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech, and was president of the National Council for Negro Women for more than 40 years.

The Rev. Gil Caldwell

The Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell was a young seminarian when he met the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at Boston University. He spent time with the civil rights leader as part of an effort to support public schools in the area.

Bishop Melvin Talbert

Retired Bishop Melvin Talbert was a 25-year-old seminary student caught up in the civil rights movement when he landed in a jail cell with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1960. King’s commitment to nonviolence and to seeing all humans as brothers and sisters changed Talbert.

Bishop Felton May

Bishop Felton May was a local pastor in Chicago and served as master of ceremonies when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. came to speak on behalf of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

The Rev. Joseph Lowery

As president of the ministerial alliance in Mobile, Lowery received an offering from all the churches in the city to support the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott that began in December 1955 under King’s leadership. In 1957, he co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with King and served as president and chief executive officer from 1977 to 1998.

Bishop James Thomas

Bishop James Samuel Thomas met the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1955, when King was on his way to speak at Tennessee State University in Nashville. Later, both men addressed the 1965 Methodist Youth Conference in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Victor Cyrus-Franklin

United Methodist pastor Victor Cyrus-Franklin was first introduced to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at a young age. His family made an effort to celebrate and remember the civil rights champion’s life every year.