"The Drum Major Instinct" Ebenezer Baptist Church

Abstract

The Drum Major Instinct, a sermon delivered by Dr. King at the Atlanta Ebenezer Baptist Church, frames the “instinct” as being responsible for the social ills of the world. Dr. King proclaims that racial inequality in America and the war in Vietnam are the result of nations engaging in a “bitter colossal contest for supremacy.” He suggests that the only way to end this “suicidal thrust” is to abide by an altered definition of the instinct – the definition of Jesus Christ. He ends by stating that Jesus wants us to stride for greatness, as long as we are great in love, moral excellence and in generosity.