FAHAMU MPANGO MKAKATI WA MUUNDO WA UONGOZI
ZIFAHAMU SIFA ZAIDI YA 20 ZA KIONGOZI BORA.
Usomi wa ngazi mbalimbali si sifa ya mtu kufaa kuwa kiongozi, dunia katika historia yake ina majina lukuki ya baadhi ya viongozi ambao walikuwa wasomi, lakini hatima ya uongozi wao haikutofautiana na wajinga.
Hata hapa nchini kuna baadhi ya viongozi serikalini, kwenye mashirika na hata kwenye sekta binafsi ambao wakikuonesha vyeti vyao vya shule unaweza kuogopa, lakini utendaji wao ni kichefuchefu.
Kisaikolijia sifa za kiongozi ziko wazi na ni muhimu, mtu kuwa nazo kabla au baada ya kupewa cheo. Leo tunataka kuziangalia kwa undani sifa hizi, ili kama wananchi au viongozi wenye dhamana ya kuchagua watu wa kuongoza tuwatazame watu kwa sifa zao kabla na baada ya kuwapa nafasi. Sifa za kiongozi ni hizi zifuatazo:
Awaze mafanikio makubwa
Kiongozi bora lazima awe na maono ya juu ya kuhakikisha kuwa nchi yake, kampuni yake sekta yake inapata mafanikio makubwa, hii ndiyo itakuwa dira ya kazi yake itakayompa muongozo wa kusimamia wafanyakazi na watendaji wote walio chini yake kufikia kiwango cha mafanikio anachokiwaza. Kiongozi asiyekuwa na mawazo ya juu ya kuendelea kutoka mahali alipo hafai.
Awe na nia
Haitoshi kwa kiongozi kuwa na mawazo chanya peke yake bila kuwa na nia ya kuyatimiza. Hivyo, kiongozi atafaa kuchaguliwa kuwa kiongozi endapo tu atakuwa na uwezo wa kuratibu vema na kutekeleza alichowaza. Ajue njia anayopita, awatangulie anaowaongoza kwa vitendo.
Ajitambue mwenyewe
Lazima kiongozi ajitambue mwenyewe ni mtu wa namna gani, ajue uwezo wake na upungufu wake na awe tayari kujiongezea maarifa kila siku, ili aweze kukabili changamoto na mabadiliko ya ulimwengu. Asome, afuatilie mambo yanavyokwenda na ajifunze kwa wenzake kuhusu kufanikisha malengo yake.
Asimamie maamuzi
Kuna wakati malengo hukumbana na vikwazo, hivyo ni wajibu wa kiongozi kusimamia maamuzi sahihi na kuwa mtu wa mwisho. Kiongozi mwenye kubadilika badilika kama kinyonga, hafai kwa vile kukosa msimamo kuna maanisha udhaifu wa mipango na kujiamini.
Adhibiti msongo wa mawazo
Tunamtarajia kiongozi mzuri awe ni mtu mwenye kupunguza msongo wa mawazo, ili kuifanya akili yake ifikie maamuzi sahihi, lakini kama atakuwa mwenye kuwaza mengi, atajikuta anachanganyikiwa na kuwa mtu wa jazba katika maamuzi na hivyo kuipotosha jamii.
Akubali kukosolewa
Viongozi wasiokuwa na sifa za uongozi huwa hawakubali kukosolewa, wakidhani kuwa hiyo ndiyo njia ya kuthibitisha msimamo wao na usahihi wao. Kiongozi makini ni yule ambaye atakuwa tayari kukosolewa na kuwapongeza wanaomkosoa kwa kutazama mwenendo wake na usahihi wake. Asiyekubali kukosolewa hafai kuwa kiongozi.
Awe msikilizaji
Kiongozi mzuri ni yule ambaye atakuwa tayari kuwasilikiza watu walio chini yake, apokee maoni yao na ikiwezekana ayafanyie kazi. Lakini pia anatakiwa kuwafahamu kwa undani, ili aweze kuwaongoza vema kufuatana na hali zao. Akiwa na watu walemavu wenye kasoro kadhaa wa kadhaa anatakiwa kuwatambua kabla na baada ya kuwa kiongozi wao. Kuongoza usichokifahamu ni ujinga.
Afuate haki
Kiongozi imara anatakiwa kufuata haki katika kuongoza kwake, asijione mwenye haki zaidi ya wale anaowaongoza katika sheria. Ni muhimu kwake kuwafanya walio chini yake kujiona wako huru katika mawazo na matendo. Kiongozi anayetumia nguvu na ukali kuongoza watu hafai. Hata yule mwenye kujivunia uongozi wake naye hafai.
Awe egemeo la watu
Sifa nyingine ya kiongozi ni kuwa egemeo la watu wake katika shida na raha. Kiongozi mzuri ni yule ambaye atakuwa tayari kusikitika, kuomboleza, kufurahi pamoja na watu wa chini yake bila kujitenga nao. Ajitolee kuwatumikia watu kwa hali na mali na awe tayari kutumika zaidi kwa maslahi ya wengine.
Atie moyo watu
Kiongozi mzuri ni yule ambaye atakuwa na uwezo wa kuwatia moyo walio chini yake ili waweze kuendeleza vipaji vyao. Haipendezi kwa kiongozi kuwavunja moyo watu kwa kauli za kudharau kazi na jitihada zao walizojaribu kufanya katika kutekeleza majukumu yao kama wafanyakazi au wananchi.
Afurahie mafanikio
Sifa nyingine muhimu ya kiongozi ni kuwa tayari kufurahia mafanikio aliyopata pamoja na watu wake. Ni wajibu wa kiongozi kutoa tuzo, kuwashukuru wafanyakazi wake na kuwa tayari kuwapa ofa. Hii itasaidia kuwafanya watu waone hawajapoteza nguvu zao katika utendaji wao na kwamba wanakubalika. Si busara wakati mwingine kuwakosoa watu mbele ya hadhara na kueleza kutofurahishwa na kazi zao.
Aungane na wa chini yake
Mtu kuwa kiongozi haimaanishi amekuwa wa tofauti na watu wengine kiasi cha kushindwa kuchangamana nao kama wanavyofanya baadhi ya viongozi. Kiongozi mwema ni yule atakayeungana na watu wake katika maisha ya kawaida. Kuwa kiongozi haimaanishi kwamba watu watakufuata wewe kila siku, wakati mwingine wewe unatakiwa kuwafuata wao na kuwa nyuma yao hata mahali walipokosea au wanapokabiliwa na makosa, watetee na uoneshe kuwajali na kuwapigania, makosa utayahesabu baada ya utetezi wako kukamilika.
Akubali lawama
Kama kiongozi amefanya mambo ambayo jamii haikupendezwa nayo anachotakiwa kufanya ni kukubali kulaumiwa. Ikiwa anaongoza kitego cha umeme kwa mfano na watu hawakupata nishati hiyo kwa wakati hatakiwi kukwepa lawama, vivyo hivyo kwenye wizara na idara au nchi kwa ujumla.
Afahamu kutatua matatizo
Kiongozi mzuri ni yule ambaye atakuwa na uwezo wa kuzuia migogoro na kuitatua kwa haraka. Muongozo mzuri katika eneo hili umesimama katika mawasiliano na watu wa chini, mawasiliano haya ndiyo yatakayomuwezesha kiongozi kujua matatizo waliyonayo wafanyakazi wake au hata jamii anayoiongoza na hivyo kumfanya apate wasaa wa kuyashughulikia mapema.
Ajifunze kwa makosa
Wakati mwingine mawazo na mipango inaweza ikaenda kombo, hivyo ni wajibu wa kiongozi kujifunza kutokana na makosa yake au ya wale anaowaongoza, ili kuepuka kurudia makosa yale yale na kumfanya apoteze sifa za kuwa kiongozi mzuri.
Mwanafalsafa Winston Churchill aliwahi kusema "The price of greatness is responsibility." Thamani ya ukuu ni uwajibikaji.
Awe mwaminifu
Miongoni mwa maeneo magumu kabisa yaliyowashinda na yanayoendelea kuwashinda viongozi wengi ni uaminifu. Kiongozi bora ni yule ambaye yuko tayari kusimamia muongozo wa katiba ya nchi au marufuku alizowekewa katika madaraka yake. Hii inakwenda sambamba na kutowaonea, kuwanyanyasa wa nchini yake kwa kutumia cheo chake.
Awe mkweli
Viongozi wengi hasa wa kisiasa siku hizi ni waongo hakuna mfano, wamejaa ahadi zisizotekelezeka na hata wanapogundua kuwa hawana uwezo au wamekwama kuzitimiza, hawaoni haja ya kutubu mbele ya wanaowaongoza. Kiongozi makini ni yule atayekuwa tayari kuonesha ubora wa matendo na kauli zake.
Asiwe mwenye majungu
Kuna baadhi ya viongozi kwenye maofisi wanaendekeza sana majungu na pengine kuyapa umuhimu wa hali ya juu. Hii ni sifa mbaya kwa kiongozi yo yote, hivyo anayetumikia ‘umbea’ katika ofisi aliyokabidhiwa kama mkuu anapaswa kuondolewa. Kiongozi makini atatumia uwezo wake kuzuia watu wasimsengenye/wasisengenyane kwa kuwa muwazi na mwenye kufungua milango ya watu kumuona na kumlaumu na kueleza hisia zao.
Awe bora
Kwa kila analofanya kama kiongozi lazima alifanye kwa ubora, asiwe mtu mwenye kulipua kazi na kufanya chini ya kiwango cha uwezo wake. Kila siku katika kazi, maamuzi, usimamizi, utekelezaji lazima atumike zaidi ya uwezo wake.
Hata hapa nchini kuna baadhi ya viongozi serikalini, kwenye mashirika na hata kwenye sekta binafsi ambao wakikuonesha vyeti vyao vya shule unaweza kuogopa, lakini utendaji wao ni kichefuchefu.
Kisaikolijia sifa za kiongozi ziko wazi na ni muhimu, mtu kuwa nazo kabla au baada ya kupewa cheo. Leo tunataka kuziangalia kwa undani sifa hizi, ili kama wananchi au viongozi wenye dhamana ya kuchagua watu wa kuongoza tuwatazame watu kwa sifa zao kabla na baada ya kuwapa nafasi. Sifa za kiongozi ni hizi zifuatazo:
Awaze mafanikio makubwa
Kiongozi bora lazima awe na maono ya juu ya kuhakikisha kuwa nchi yake, kampuni yake sekta yake inapata mafanikio makubwa, hii ndiyo itakuwa dira ya kazi yake itakayompa muongozo wa kusimamia wafanyakazi na watendaji wote walio chini yake kufikia kiwango cha mafanikio anachokiwaza. Kiongozi asiyekuwa na mawazo ya juu ya kuendelea kutoka mahali alipo hafai.
Awe na nia
Haitoshi kwa kiongozi kuwa na mawazo chanya peke yake bila kuwa na nia ya kuyatimiza. Hivyo, kiongozi atafaa kuchaguliwa kuwa kiongozi endapo tu atakuwa na uwezo wa kuratibu vema na kutekeleza alichowaza. Ajue njia anayopita, awatangulie anaowaongoza kwa vitendo.
Ajitambue mwenyewe
Lazima kiongozi ajitambue mwenyewe ni mtu wa namna gani, ajue uwezo wake na upungufu wake na awe tayari kujiongezea maarifa kila siku, ili aweze kukabili changamoto na mabadiliko ya ulimwengu. Asome, afuatilie mambo yanavyokwenda na ajifunze kwa wenzake kuhusu kufanikisha malengo yake.
Asimamie maamuzi
Kuna wakati malengo hukumbana na vikwazo, hivyo ni wajibu wa kiongozi kusimamia maamuzi sahihi na kuwa mtu wa mwisho. Kiongozi mwenye kubadilika badilika kama kinyonga, hafai kwa vile kukosa msimamo kuna maanisha udhaifu wa mipango na kujiamini.
Adhibiti msongo wa mawazo
Tunamtarajia kiongozi mzuri awe ni mtu mwenye kupunguza msongo wa mawazo, ili kuifanya akili yake ifikie maamuzi sahihi, lakini kama atakuwa mwenye kuwaza mengi, atajikuta anachanganyikiwa na kuwa mtu wa jazba katika maamuzi na hivyo kuipotosha jamii.
Akubali kukosolewa
Viongozi wasiokuwa na sifa za uongozi huwa hawakubali kukosolewa, wakidhani kuwa hiyo ndiyo njia ya kuthibitisha msimamo wao na usahihi wao. Kiongozi makini ni yule ambaye atakuwa tayari kukosolewa na kuwapongeza wanaomkosoa kwa kutazama mwenendo wake na usahihi wake. Asiyekubali kukosolewa hafai kuwa kiongozi.
Awe msikilizaji
Kiongozi mzuri ni yule ambaye atakuwa tayari kuwasilikiza watu walio chini yake, apokee maoni yao na ikiwezekana ayafanyie kazi. Lakini pia anatakiwa kuwafahamu kwa undani, ili aweze kuwaongoza vema kufuatana na hali zao. Akiwa na watu walemavu wenye kasoro kadhaa wa kadhaa anatakiwa kuwatambua kabla na baada ya kuwa kiongozi wao. Kuongoza usichokifahamu ni ujinga.
Afuate haki
Kiongozi imara anatakiwa kufuata haki katika kuongoza kwake, asijione mwenye haki zaidi ya wale anaowaongoza katika sheria. Ni muhimu kwake kuwafanya walio chini yake kujiona wako huru katika mawazo na matendo. Kiongozi anayetumia nguvu na ukali kuongoza watu hafai. Hata yule mwenye kujivunia uongozi wake naye hafai.
Awe egemeo la watu
Sifa nyingine ya kiongozi ni kuwa egemeo la watu wake katika shida na raha. Kiongozi mzuri ni yule ambaye atakuwa tayari kusikitika, kuomboleza, kufurahi pamoja na watu wa chini yake bila kujitenga nao. Ajitolee kuwatumikia watu kwa hali na mali na awe tayari kutumika zaidi kwa maslahi ya wengine.
Atie moyo watu
Kiongozi mzuri ni yule ambaye atakuwa na uwezo wa kuwatia moyo walio chini yake ili waweze kuendeleza vipaji vyao. Haipendezi kwa kiongozi kuwavunja moyo watu kwa kauli za kudharau kazi na jitihada zao walizojaribu kufanya katika kutekeleza majukumu yao kama wafanyakazi au wananchi.
Afurahie mafanikio
Sifa nyingine muhimu ya kiongozi ni kuwa tayari kufurahia mafanikio aliyopata pamoja na watu wake. Ni wajibu wa kiongozi kutoa tuzo, kuwashukuru wafanyakazi wake na kuwa tayari kuwapa ofa. Hii itasaidia kuwafanya watu waone hawajapoteza nguvu zao katika utendaji wao na kwamba wanakubalika. Si busara wakati mwingine kuwakosoa watu mbele ya hadhara na kueleza kutofurahishwa na kazi zao.
Aungane na wa chini yake
Mtu kuwa kiongozi haimaanishi amekuwa wa tofauti na watu wengine kiasi cha kushindwa kuchangamana nao kama wanavyofanya baadhi ya viongozi. Kiongozi mwema ni yule atakayeungana na watu wake katika maisha ya kawaida. Kuwa kiongozi haimaanishi kwamba watu watakufuata wewe kila siku, wakati mwingine wewe unatakiwa kuwafuata wao na kuwa nyuma yao hata mahali walipokosea au wanapokabiliwa na makosa, watetee na uoneshe kuwajali na kuwapigania, makosa utayahesabu baada ya utetezi wako kukamilika.
Akubali lawama
Kama kiongozi amefanya mambo ambayo jamii haikupendezwa nayo anachotakiwa kufanya ni kukubali kulaumiwa. Ikiwa anaongoza kitego cha umeme kwa mfano na watu hawakupata nishati hiyo kwa wakati hatakiwi kukwepa lawama, vivyo hivyo kwenye wizara na idara au nchi kwa ujumla.
Afahamu kutatua matatizo
Kiongozi mzuri ni yule ambaye atakuwa na uwezo wa kuzuia migogoro na kuitatua kwa haraka. Muongozo mzuri katika eneo hili umesimama katika mawasiliano na watu wa chini, mawasiliano haya ndiyo yatakayomuwezesha kiongozi kujua matatizo waliyonayo wafanyakazi wake au hata jamii anayoiongoza na hivyo kumfanya apate wasaa wa kuyashughulikia mapema.
Ajifunze kwa makosa
Wakati mwingine mawazo na mipango inaweza ikaenda kombo, hivyo ni wajibu wa kiongozi kujifunza kutokana na makosa yake au ya wale anaowaongoza, ili kuepuka kurudia makosa yale yale na kumfanya apoteze sifa za kuwa kiongozi mzuri.
Mwanafalsafa Winston Churchill aliwahi kusema "The price of greatness is responsibility." Thamani ya ukuu ni uwajibikaji.
Awe mwaminifu
Miongoni mwa maeneo magumu kabisa yaliyowashinda na yanayoendelea kuwashinda viongozi wengi ni uaminifu. Kiongozi bora ni yule ambaye yuko tayari kusimamia muongozo wa katiba ya nchi au marufuku alizowekewa katika madaraka yake. Hii inakwenda sambamba na kutowaonea, kuwanyanyasa wa nchini yake kwa kutumia cheo chake.
Awe mkweli
Viongozi wengi hasa wa kisiasa siku hizi ni waongo hakuna mfano, wamejaa ahadi zisizotekelezeka na hata wanapogundua kuwa hawana uwezo au wamekwama kuzitimiza, hawaoni haja ya kutubu mbele ya wanaowaongoza. Kiongozi makini ni yule atayekuwa tayari kuonesha ubora wa matendo na kauli zake.
Asiwe mwenye majungu
Kuna baadhi ya viongozi kwenye maofisi wanaendekeza sana majungu na pengine kuyapa umuhimu wa hali ya juu. Hii ni sifa mbaya kwa kiongozi yo yote, hivyo anayetumikia ‘umbea’ katika ofisi aliyokabidhiwa kama mkuu anapaswa kuondolewa. Kiongozi makini atatumia uwezo wake kuzuia watu wasimsengenye/wasisengenyane kwa kuwa muwazi na mwenye kufungua milango ya watu kumuona na kumlaumu na kueleza hisia zao.
Awe bora
Kwa kila analofanya kama kiongozi lazima alifanye kwa ubora, asiwe mtu mwenye kulipua kazi na kufanya chini ya kiwango cha uwezo wake. Kila siku katika kazi, maamuzi, usimamizi, utekelezaji lazima atumike zaidi ya uwezo wake.
Get to know Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. King has become a national icon in the history of modern American liberalism.
A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, serving as its first president. King's efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he expanded American values to include the vision of a color blind society, and established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history.
In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other nonviolent means. By the time of his death in 1968, he had refocused his efforts on ending poverty and stopping the Vietnam War.
Early life and education
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, the middle child of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King. King Jr. had an older sister, Willie Christine King, and a younger brother, Alfred Daniel Williams King. King sang with his church choir at the 1939 Atlanta premiere of the movie Gone with the Wind.
King was originally skeptical of many of Christianity's claims. Most striking, perhaps, was his initial denial of the bodily resurrection of Jesus during Sunday school at the age of thirteen. From this point, he stated, "doubts began to spring forth unrelentingly". However, he later concluded that the Bible has "many profound truths which one cannot escape" and decided to enter the seminary.
Growing up in Atlanta, King attended Booker T. Washington High School. A precocious student, he skipped both the ninth and the twelfth grade and entered Morehouse College at age fifteen without formally graduating from high school In 1948, he graduated from Morehouse with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology, and enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1951.King married Coretta Scott, on June 18, 1953, on the lawn of her parents' house in her hometown of Heiberger, Alabama. They became the parents of four children; Yolanda King, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King, and Bernice King. King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, when he was twenty-five years old, in 1954. King then began doctoral studies in systematic theology at Boston University and received his Doctor of Philosophy on June 5, 1955, with a dissertation on "A Comparison of the Conceptions of God in the Thinking of Paul Tillich and Henry Nelson Wieman". A 1980s inquiry concluded portions of his dissertation had been plagiarized and he had acted improperly but that his dissertation still "makes an intelligent contribution to scholarship",
Influences
Thurman
Civil rights leader, theologian, and educator Howard Thurman was an early influence on King. A classmate of King's father at Morehouse College, Thurman mentored the young King and his friends. Thurman's missionary work had taken him abroad where he had met and conferred with Mahatma Gandhi. When he was a student at Boston University, King often visited Thurman, who was the dean of Marsh Chapel. Walter Fluker, who has studied Thurman's writings, has stated, "I don't believe you'd get a Martin Luther King, Jr. without a Howard Thurman".
Gandhi and Rustin
With assistance from the Quaker group the American Friends Service Committee, and inspired by Gandhi's success with non-violent activism, King visited Gandhi's birthplace in India in 1959. The trip to India affected King in a profound way, deepening his understanding of non-violent resistance and his commitment to America's struggle for civil rights. In a radio address made during his final evening in India, King reflected, "Since being in India, I am more convinced than ever before that the method of nonviolent resistance is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for justice and human dignity. In a real sense, Mahatma Gandhi embodied in his life certain universal principles that are inherent in the moral structure of the universe, and these principles are as inescapable as the law of gravitation." African American civil rights activist Bayard Rustin had studied Gandhi's teachings. Rustin counseled King to dedicate himself to the principles of non-violence,served as King's main advisor and mentor throughout his early activism, and was the main organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. Rustin's open homosexuality, support ofdemocratic socialism, and his former ties to the Communist Party USA caused many white and African-American leaders to demand King distance himself from Rustin.
Public stance on political parties
As the leader of the SCLC, King maintained a policy of not publicly endorsing a U.S. political party or candidate: "I feel someone must remain in the position of non-alignment, so that he can look objectively at both parties and be the conscience of both—not the servant or master of either.
In a 1958 interview, he expressed his view that neither party was perfect, saying, "I don't think the Republican party is a party full of the almighty God nor is the Democratic party. They both have weaknesses ... And I'm not inextricably bound to either party."
King critiqued both parties' performance on promoting racial equality:
Actually, the Negro has been betrayed by both the Republican and the Democratic party. The Democrats have betrayed him by capitulating to the whims and caprices of the Southern Dixiecrats. The Republicans have betrayed him by capitulating to the blatant hypocrisy of reactionary right wing northern Republicans. And this coalition of southern Dixiecrats and right wing reactionary northern Republicans defeats every bill and every move towards liberal legislation in the area of civil rights.
Personal political advocacy
Although King never publicly supported a political party or candidate for president, in a letter to a civil rights supporter in October 1956 he said that he was undecided as to whether he would vote for theAdlai Stevenson or Dwight Eisenhower, but that "In the past I always voted the Democratic ticket."
In his autobiography, King says that in 1960 he privately voted for Democratic candidate John F. Kennedy: "I felt that Kennedy would make the best president. I never came out with an endorsement. My father did, but I never made one." King adds that he likely would have made an exception to his non-endorsement policy in 1964, saying "Had President Kennedy lived, I would probably have endorsed him in 1964."
Main article: Sermons and speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Throughout his career of service, King wrote and spoke frequently, drawing on his experience as a preacher. His "Letter from Birmingham Jail", written in 1963, is a "passionate" statement of his crusade for justice. His I Have a Dream speech is a 17 minute public speech delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination. On October 14, 1964, King became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to him for leading non-violent resistance to racial prejudice in the United States. All I'm saying is simply this, that all life is interrelated, that somehow we're caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Stance on compensation
Assassination and its aftermath
Main article: Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
On March 29, 1968, King went to Memphis, Tennessee, in support of the black sanitary public works employees, represented by AFSCME Local 1733, who had been on strike since March 12 for higher wages and better treatment. In one incident, black street repairmen received pay for two hours when they were sent home because of bad weather, but white employees were paid for the full day.
On April 3, King addressed a rally and delivered his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" address at Mason Temple, the world headquarters of the Church of God in Christ. King's flight to Memphis had been delayed by a bomb threat against his plane. In the close of the last speech of his career, in reference to the bomb threat, King said the following:
And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers? Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. So I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
King was booked in room 306 at the Lorraine Motel, owned by Walter Bailey, in Memphis. The Reverend Ralph Abernathy, King's close friend and colleague who was present at the assassination, testified under oath to the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations that King and his entourage stayed at room 306 at the Lorraine Motel so often it was known as the "King-Abernathy suite."
According to Jesse Jackson, who was present, King's last words on the balcony prior to his assassination were spoken to musician Ben Branch, who was scheduled to perform that night at an event King was attending: "Ben, make sure you play 'Take My Hand, Precious Lord' in the meeting tonight. Play it real pretty."
Then, at 6:01 p.m., April 4, 1968, a shot rang out as King stood on the motel's second floor balcony. The bullet entered through his right cheek, smashing his jaw, then traveled down his spinal cord before lodging in his shoulder. Abernathy heard the shot from inside the motel room and ran to the balcony to find King on the floor. The events following the shooting have been disputed, as some people have accused Jackson of exaggerating his response.
After emergency chest surgery, King was pronounced dead at St. Joseph's Hospital at 7:05 p.m. According to biographer Taylor Branch, King's autopsy revealed that though only 39 years old, he had the heart of a 60-year-old man, perhaps a result of the stress of 13 years in the civil rights movement.
The assassination led to a nationwide wave of race riots in Washington D.C., Chicago, Baltimore, Louisville, Kentucky, Kansas City, and dozens of other cities. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was on his way to Indianapolis for a campaign rally when he was informed of King's death. He gave a short speech to the gathering of supporters informing them of the tragedy and urging them to continue King's ideal of non-violence. James Farmer, Jr. and other civil rights leaders also called for non-violent action, while the more militant Stokely Carmichael called for a more forceful response.
President Lyndon B. Johnson declared April 7 a national day of mourning for the civil rights leader . Vice-President Hubert Humphrey attended King's funeral on behalf of the President, as there were fears that Johnson's presence might incite protests and perhaps violence.
At his widow's request, King's last sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church was played at the funeral, a recording of his "Drum Major" sermon, given on February 4, 1968. In that sermon, King made a request that at his funeral no mention of his awards and honors be made, but that it be said that he tried to "feed the hungry", "clothe the naked", "be right on the [Vietnam] war question", and "love and serve humanity".His good friend Mahalia Jackson sang his favorite hymn, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord", at the funeral.
The city of Memphis quickly settled the strike on terms favorable to the sanitation workers.
Two months after King's death, escaped convict James Earl Ray was captured at London Heathrow Airport while trying to leave the United Kingdom on a false Canadian passport in the name of Ramon George Sneyd on his way to white-ruled Rhodesia. Ray was quickly extradited to Tennessee and charged with King's murder. He confessed to the assassination on March 10, 1969, though he recanted this confession three days later. On the advice of his attorney Percy Foreman, Ray pleaded guilty to avoid a trial conviction and thus the possibility of receiving the death penalty. Ray was sentenced to a 99-year prison term.Ray fired Foreman as his attorney, from then on derisively calling him "Percy Fourflusher".He claimed a man he met in Montreal, Quebec, with the alias "Raoul" was involved and that the assassination was the result of a conspiracy. He spent the remainder of his life attempting, unsuccessfully, to withdraw his guilty plea and secure the trial he never had. On June 10, 1977, shortly after Ray had testified to the House Select Committee on Assassinations that he did not shoot King, he and six other convicts escaped from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Petros, Tennessee. They were recaptured on June 13 and returned to prison.
Wananchi Wameru wambeba Lema kwa umbali wa kilometa 1
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