Laker Leadership Experience

Everyone in the world today is their own unique person. They have certain characteristics, a certain personality that makes them who they are. While many qualities are very beneficial in life, there are several that are key in determining the type of leader a person is. Some may be authoritative and close-minded while others may be more understanding and compassionate. In order to be a proper and just leader, one must be open to new ideas and be willing to learn from others and use the idea of community to achieve success. These are some of the ideas I am currently learning while attending the First Year Leadership Experience (FYLE) seminars lead by the Laker Leadership Program. Through this program, I will not only be learning how to

question the way laws used and how the just laws are manipulated in order to harm others. He states that “a just law is a man-made code that squares with moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law” (King 262). This shows how not all laws are created for a proper and just manner. Dr. King was trying to shine a light on how the legislature of Alabama, which created segregation laws, had done so undemocratically because they “prevent[ed] Negroes from becoming registered voters” (King 262). The officials in the government, the “leaders”, were not treating African Americans in an ethical manner. As discussed during FYLE, leadership doesn’t require a specific quality but a variety, from being inclusive and purposeful to empowering and ethical. If one were to forget even one of these, their leadership style might not be the best at helping them lead others. As shown by Dr. King, we can see how the government was not being inclusive and ethical when making their decisions. They had decided to make segregation laws based on their own beliefs rather than what would be the best for the greater good. Even though these “leaders” believed they were doing what was best, they continued to turn away from an entire community and neglect them, showing their lack of connection to their natural morals as a human being. Dr. King excelled at describing how these “leaders” had lost their touch with ethical value in a decreasingly moral