The King Holiday: The call to service

  • Published
  • By 436th Airlift Wing Chapel
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del., --  On February 4, 1968, two months before his death, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave what was at the time no more than a sermon delivered to a church congregation.

This single sermon later became commonly revisited and was one of Dr. King's last public messages. Today, it is called the Drum Major Instinct speech and one of Dr. King's great messages on service.

Video excerpts and quotes of the speech have often been shown on television and routinely appear in print. In addition, the message likely began the reference to Dr. King as the drum major for justice.

The reason a stirring, but relatively brief, sermon became famous may be because it is one of the speeches where Dr. King almost prophetically alluded to his own death.

Near the end of the passionate oration he proclaimed, "every now and then, I think about my own death and I think about my own funeral. If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don't want a long funeral. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize - that isn't important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards. I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr., tried to give his life serving others. If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice, say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness."

From these words, one could assert that Dr. King saw himself as both a servant and a leader. Yet the image of a drum major may not necessarily bring the idea of true leadership or service to mind. Drum majors usually only have small roles in marching bands but are recognizable, highly visible attention grabbers.

A look at the entire Drum Major Instinct speech revealed that while Dr. King was indeed referring to this type of drum major in his message, he used the drum major role to suggest that every human being has an almost innate need to be recognized; to be out in front and to receive praise and attention. It appears that Dr. King was pointing to a desire that truly motivates people.

But Dr. King warned that this desire could be dangerous if it caused people to engage in activities just because they wanted attention. He emphasized that many people used this drum major instinct to put others down as they attempt to climb the ladder of success.

Dr. King believed the drum major instinct was the reason most people engaged in selfish, biased and negative behavior. He challenged those listening to his speech to harness the drum major instinct and use it for good. Dr. King told them to be first in generosity, first in love and first in moral excellence.

He referred to the positive use of the drum major instinct as the first part of a new definition of greatness and went on to proclaim, "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." He continued by elaborating on this definition saying, "it means that everybody can be great because everybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love and you can be that servant."

To some, one message that can be drawn from Dr. King's speech is when people serve in organizations such as the Air Force they are relevant. This is because the collective effort to support such a noble cause is certain to be greater than any individual enterprise.

Each and every role is important and contributes to the organization's success. Everyone is relevant because of their willingness and their spirit of service.

"In 1995, I was a part of a theology school group that visited the historic Dexter Avenue Baptist church in Montgomery, Ala.," said Maj. William Cooper Jr., 436th Airlift Wing chaplain. "The church is only minutes from Maxwell Air Force Base and is the first church Dr. King served as pastor. During the visit I introduced myself to an elderly church deacon whose name was Mr. Nesbitt. To my amazement this gentleman had actually hired Dr. King to be pastor of that very church. He was quiet but personable and when I left, he said that it was nice meeting me and referred to me by name."

Mr. Nesbitt's acknowledgement of someone he could have easily viewed as insignificant has remained with him over the years, said Major Cooper. "I wonder now if even before he became nationally prominent, this type of experience may have shaped Dr. King's perspective on life and his commitment to service and leadership."
But the lesson for those who lead is that it is important to affirm the willingness of those who serve. Without those who perform basic duties, organizations cannot function; their willingness to serve is what leads to collective success.

The lesson for those who serve is two-fold: First, they should always strive to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. They should not seek so much to be acknowledged but rather let others see their hard work and give them credit or recognition. Second, even though service may require sacrifice, it often presents people with invaluable ways to see and assist the world and even to achieve greatness.