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Troy Jackson Becoming King Summary

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Critique of Nonfiction Novel
The civil rights movement was a revolutionary chapter in American history. Leading the movement was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose legacy has been etched in history. Troy Jackson explores the roots of King’s legacy in Becoming King: Martin Luther King Jr. and The Making of a National Leader. Jackson analyzes how different influences in Montgomery, Alabama shaped Dr. King into the leader of the civil rights movement.
Troy Jackson’s purpose was to inform how King became so involved in the equal rights movement and how he rose to be such an important figurehead. He describes how people like E. D. Nixon, Vernon Johns, and Rosa Parks influenced King to be involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Jackson’s thesis was that Martin …show more content…

While most historians focus on King’s development along the movement as a whole, Jackson narrows the scope on just Montgomery itself. He provides new insight that has not been explored yet. Also, most books focus on King and what he did. Becoming King: Martin Luther King Jr. and The Making of a National Leader does the opposite and “[shifts] the discussion of power and strength back to everyday people without obscuring King’s particular genius” (Walton 2).
Troy Jackson effectively convinced the reader that the people of Montgomery did in fact influence King to be a national leader for civil rights. The way Jackson “[humanized] Martin Luther King Jr., without diminishing his greatness”, along with the surplus of quotes and evidence, added to the credibility of his argument that ultimately convinced us (Walton 3).
Becoming King: Martin Luther King Jr. and The Making of a National Leader, by Troy Jackson, focuses on the development of Martin luther King Jr. when he first arrives in Montgomery all the way until he leaves for Atlanta. Jackson provides new insight that makes this book a refreshing change of

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