King: A Life

by Jonathan Eig

Two months after his eighteenth birthday, King made his debut as a journalist, covering Youth Day at Ebenezer church for the Atlanta Daily World. He also submitted an essay to the school newspaper, The Maroon Tiger, that ran under the headline “The Purpose of Education.” In the Tiger essay, he stressed the importance of character and moral development for students, warning that educated men without morals might be the most dangerous men of all. He cited the example of Eugene Talmadge, the Georgia governor who won reelection after declaring the perpetuation of white supremacy the only campaign issue that mattered. “We must remember that intelligence is not enough,” wrote King. “Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education … If we are not careful, our colleges will produce a group of close-minded, unscientific, illogical propagandists, consumed with immoral acts. Be careful, ‘brethren!’ Be careful, teachers!”