Efforts to Erase MLK’s Legacy Continue Today

Holidays to commemorate the Confederacy and constant misquoting are evidence of efforts to sanitize Dr. King’s true legacy

Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking against the Vietnam War, St. Paul Campus, University of Minnesota | Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society | Creative Commons

We see it every year. People who’ve never read Martin Luther King Jr. or listened to any of his sermons or speeches in their entirety remind us of the Dr. King they like to remember. Despite all the reminders of just how seemingly radical his ideas still are, far too many in the U.S. choose to ignore his ideologies, his faith, and his beliefs. They ignore his efforts toward a just and equitable society for all. Yes, all. Including immigrants and poor white people who are collateral damage to the effects of white power structures.

It’s a wonder why poor white people align themselves with the caste system that allows white power brokers dominion of non-white populations — alongside their communities too. To look back at Dr. King’s life isn’t about looking back at the parts people can use against the Black community when speaking up against injustice. It’s about looking back at his legacy and standing beside oppressed populations to achieve social equity and equal justice.

“Whites, it must frankly be said, are not putting in a similar mass effort to reeducate…