In recognition of Dr. King's dream of equality, a diverse range of people from the Longwood campus and the area community will present "The Drum Major Instinct" on the Lankford front steps on Thursday, January 22.
"The Drum Major Instinct," delivered by Dr. King in Atlanta on February 4, 1968, just two months before his death, emphasizes servant leadership in the pursuit of social justice, and the problems excessive consumerism creates in the realization of this goal. Although delivered 40 years ago, the message of servant leadership and simple living is one that resonates with the issues of today, while reflecting goals ofLongwood's MLK Day activities and campus-wide sustainability initiative.
Read the entire text and listen to audio clips here or view a video montage with excerpts below:
The following excerpts were taken from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project of the The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research Institute at Stanford University.
"And there is deep down within all of us an instinct. It's a kind of drum major instinct—a desire to be out front, a desire to lead the parade, a desire to be first."
"Now the presence of the drum major instinct is why so many people are "joiners." You know, there are some people who just join everything. And it's really a quest for attention and recognition and importance. ... And we join things, overjoin really, that we think that we will find that recognition in."
"The drum major instinct can lead to exclusivism in one's thinking and can lead one to feel that because he has some training, he's a little better than that person who doesn't have it. Or because he has some economic security, that he's a little better than that person who doesn't have it. And that's the uncontrolled, perverted use of the drum major instinct."
"If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness.
And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love."
"Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that's all I want to say."
What is your reaction to Dr. King's text? What kind of drum major are you? Please record your comments below.