Martin Luther King Jr.’s work as a civil rights leader and nonviolence activist has been twisted by modern opponents of his ideas, experts say. MLKDay
“There’s no question, we live in a horrible political climate today,” said Theoharis, author of “A More Beautiful and Terrible History: The Uses and Misuses of Civil Rights History.”
“Among the many problems is this weird self-satisfaction about what a racist looks like,” Theoharis said. “They say nasty things and go to nasty rallies as opposed to what King himself repeatedly said. After Watts, he writes this piece that has this great line about how he has gotten disillusioned with Northern leaders who shower praise on the movement in the South but when attention turns to their city then, only the language is polite. The resistance is hard.
Public understanding of King as a man opposed to the Vietnam War, militarism and vast inequality has expanded, Theoharis and Smith said. But, during his lifetime, King also supported collective bargaining and public provisions for basic needs as technological innovations gobbled up the jobs of less-skilled workers. He condemned the scourge of unchecked police misconduct and the racism inherent in arguments against police accountability.
King abhorred the idea that time itself would produce racial equality. He believed urgent action and disruption were required. The truth, experts said, is there in the speeches, five books, letters, interviews and other public statements King left behind — no interpretation or misappropriation necessary.“But, if any of us are going to have a more accurate understanding of King,” Theoharis said, “we need to, as a general rule, commit to read the whole damn thing. The whole thing.
So, on this, the 34th Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, Shelby and Theoharis, two of the nation’s leading King experts, have shared a list of critical King reading.
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