The Legacy of Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King has become a kind of American saint.  Revered by politicians of all types, his birthday is a national holiday.  Kids memorize his "I have a dream" speech in grade school (I did).  Those are powerful words.

But somehow on the way to the 21st century, most Americans have forgotten how truly radical (and disliked) MLK was at the time.  In addition to his call for racial justice, he also criticized the war in Vietnam and advocated for a substantial redistribution of wealth in America.  And he was willing to go to jail for those ideas.

Those actions and beliefs did not sit well with most Americans.  At the time, almost 2/3 of all Americans viewed him unfavorably.  Nowadays, 9/10 of America sees favorably.  How does such a reversal happen?  Well, perhaps its a testament to how far we've come?  Or, have we so thoroughly sanitized his image that it has become palatable to the majority?

In a piece for the Huffington Post, Peter Dreier reintroduces us to MLK and suggests where he might stand today.  It's worth considering.

"In his critique of American society and his strategy for changing it, King pushed the country toward more democracy and social justice. If he were alive today, he would certainly be standing with Walmart employees, fast food workers, and others fighting for a living wage and the right to unionize. He would be in the forefront of the battle for strong gun controls and to thwart the influence of the National Rifle Association. He would protest the abuses of Wall Street banks, standing side-by-side with homeowners facing foreclosure and crusading for tougher regulations against lending rip-offs. He would be calling for dramatic cuts in the military budget to reinvest public dollars in jobs, education and health care.

It is hardly a stretch to envision King marching with immigrants and their allies in support of comprehensive immigration reform and a path to citizenship. He would surely be joining hands with activists seeking to reduce racial profiling and the killing of young black men by police. He would stand with activists organizing to end the mass incarceration of young people. Like most Americans in his day, King was seemingly homophobic, even though one of his closest advisors, Bayard Rustin, was gay. But today, King would undoubtedly stand with advocates of LGBT rights and same-sex marriage, just as he challenged state laws banning interracial marriage."