Review Of An Easy Burden

5 Pages 1157 Words

“An Easy Burden” chronicles Andrew Young’s views and inside knowledge of the civil rights movement and race relations in the United States. With his first hand experience with such powerful figures as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Young is able to clear misconceptions and educate people of what the movement was about and why it went where it did. By holding positions in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and also on a governmental level, he allows us to hear a point of view some might never have known.
Young was a man who faced many hardships at an early age; one being the color of his skin. Born in New Orleans, he was set in a racially diverse neighborhood. He was educated by his father as to why people acted different towards Young. “Daddy taught me that racism was a sickness, and to have compassion for racist whites as I would have compassion for a polio victim. Racism wasn’t a problem with me, he told me, it was a problem they had.” Although his father told him to take a compassionate approach he didn’t leave him feeling like he was defeated. “Daddy had a genuine, turn the other cheek attitude, although he didn’t believe in becoming a victim.” It is easy to see that Young was introduced to compassionate progress which is what he went on to achieve. Against his parent’s wishes, he went into the ministry. It was his faith that led him to join Dr. King in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The message of a non violence and Christian love could transform people being oppressed and their oppressors.
As is known today, social change does not come easily. With social change comes pressures. In this respect, what Young was advocating for in the 1960s came with many pressures. Segregation was forcefully established and to plan a success movement their needed to be strong leadership. Young says, “The non violent approach is not emotional, although it is deeply spiritual. It i...