Martin Luther King Jr.

This man's great words "I have a dream" have not only made him my hero, but also inspired me beyond the modern inspirations! Because of his commitment, we have seen the biggest change in the history of the United States of America. God bless the beautiful land of G. Washington, MLking jr, Abraham Lincoln and Barak Obama!!

i think that Dr Martin Luther Kings can and is being classified as one of the world's greatest orators.This is so because of not only the impecable way in which he delivered his speeches but the fact of the matter is that he practise and put in to action what he has verbally delivered. He is one of my most admired individuals.

When I was a kid I remember driving around one day with my late Grandfather and he pointed out a couple of black people by the side of the road. These guys were pretty ghetto, and my Granddad told me they were 'niggers' and then tried to explain the difference between a 'nigger' and a black person. (The equivalent of a Redneck and a white person, I suppose) I was only nine or ten at the time, but I remember saying "Holy shit, Papa! You can't say the N-word!" I was born in Nashville, growing up, all my Friends were black. I never thought anything of race until I was much older because nobody told me there was anything wrong with anybody. PBS used to run PSA's saying that black and white kids look Different but are the same inside (Where it counts!) I would watch those and think 'Duh' why is there a commercial teaching what everybody already knows? Below is why. ->In 1619 Slavery was introduced to America ->In 1831 Nat Turner led the only effective slave rebellion in U.S. history ->In ... Read more

"I have a dream." ~MLK~ And I grew up dreaming his dream. An average child at his death. In an average family and community. White, white, white. Now I'm average white man. "I have a dream," resonates against the walls of my mind. I knew little more than the sound bite as a teen. As maturity caught me, the message behind the "dream" came clear: equality. Deny the concept. Deny right. One voice. One man. One movement. Equality. That he warped his vows and took advantage of position makes him as human as John and Robert with Norma Rea. Would you diminish any of the three? All gave their lives for a dream: freedom. Is freedom possible without equality? Dare to dream. Few do.

Like all men who live in the real world, a flawed man, but an accomplished man with a generally positive effect nonetheless. I dismiss the puritanical police comments on here for the tripe they are. Who someone fucks or lusts after does not diminish their accomplishments, except in the minds of the terminally repressed. His importance, and his generally peaceful message and tactics did much to garner respect and advance the cause of civil rights in North America.

One of the greatest speakers of our time; he could absolutely move a crowd, and it's a crying shame he didn't live long enough to touch more people with his words of passion and peace and equality.  And just for the record, I'm white.

MLK was one of the greatest orators of all time.  His ability to take his brilliant writings and to verbally present them is the reason that his memory is treasured.

A great inspiration!! Words fail when attempting to describe this man's (for lack of a better word) awe-inspiring spirit and gift of pristine oration.

i loved that King had a dream! and that he shared it with everyone!

I always heard he was a womanizer, and I am sure he played around, but if he did good for a group of people, and change certain things for good, then I am for it. We are all guilty of sin, but we can do good for man kind anyway.

A man who inspired millions and millions of people, stood up against what was wrong, its hard not to like a man like that.

A vastly overrated womanizer. If he was so wonderful, why were the FBI records on MLK sealed when his birthday was made a national holiday?

He spoke for the common good of all decent and law abiding citizens, be they black or white. Too bad there are so many narrow minded people that just don't get the messages he preached. The scary thing is that after all of these years since April 4th, 1968 many of the lessons he taught are still struggling to be realized.

All you stupid idiots who think that king was a loser or a fake are just a bunch of racists who cant stand up to the fact that he was a great man of honesty and bravery. If it wasnt for him there would still be discrimination and segregation all over this country. He just wanted blacks and whites to be treated equally. He just wanted peace. And all u people who give negative comments about this guy are again racist and should just go to hell.

hey go mlkjr!

If your having a hard time with the THE MESSENGER just LISTEN TO THE MESSAGE He's great for what he has done for others, not for what he hasn't done for himself, and anytime your assinated for speaking your mind and helping others even if you've done things not agreeable to others, thats Great. He's great because inspite of his flaws, he perseveered for others, not focusing on himself, never taking the time to improve upon himself, because he was overwhelmed with helping others. No he is not the only one that has helped us try to get along, but he is one who has lost his life because of it, that makes him great. He was not responsible for the Lincoln holiday turning into Presidents Day, but the same people who did Martin and others an injustice did the same to Lincoln, but Lincolns people didn't rally against that, how unfortunate. Martin was not trying to get anyone to respect him, he wanted respect for all, my brother, the same as Farakan. He allowed himself to be disrespec... Read more

i got respect for martin i heard the brtoher speak but doesnt deserve a 5 because he is the only one who gets credit for helping african-americans. I thinks its unfair that they dont teach u about maclom x i wanna know more about my history. and another reason why martin doesnt deserve 5 is because he said that black people shouldnt be bad and that we should be nice but behind clothes doors he was racesist and mean but malcom x didnt care he wasnt going to be nice he was a thug and he was agressive thats why they dont teach u about him in school and i respect malcom for being agressive because malcom was tired of that bullsh** and he wasnt gonna put up with it anymore.

A great man with a great gift of speech. It was clear that he made sure that he spoke and acted like the great man that he thought all black men could be. Idiots like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are an insult to his legacy.

Yes, Martin Luther King had some flaws,but it doesn't give someone the right to go through his personal life. He was a man of morals and visions,not a juding man of skin.By the way someone on here said he was a black racist, that does not make sense. He stood up for black people. I'm white,but I'm not racist and never will be. I have some black friends. Oh, and stood up for them in class becuase of a racist that was made. Martin Luther King is a great leader. His dream is coming true. I wish there were more people standing up for what they believe in, instead of what they sey on t.v. or what someone says. I believe that African Americans are just as any of us. I have a quetion. If black peolpe are so wrong then why did God make different colors? think about it. This is my comment. If we go back to the racial split up of blacks and whites.I would probably be a very hated person, but no one can tell you who your friends are. RIP(Rest in Peace) Martin Luther King. Know that some people... Read more

He got involved in a war he had nothing to do in.

Anyone who has ties to the Nation of Islam or had ties to the Nation of Islam, I put there with the Farrakhans of the world and I have zero respect for him!Update:The U. S. Congressional Record of March 30, 1965 quotes Karl Prussian, an FBI counterspy inside the Communist Party as swearing: At all of these Communist Party meetings Rev. Martin Luther King was always set forth as the individual to whom Communists should rally around... King has either been a member of, or willingly accepted support from over 60 Communist fronts... King accepted support from communist fronts , individuals and organizations which espouse communist causes. He openly incited violence under the banner of nonviolence. King led a bizarre sex life which included acts of shocking perversion. On Jan. 31, 1977 Coretta Scott King obtained a federal court order sealing for 50 years 845 pages of FBI records about her husband, because its release would destroy his reputation!Yet congress still passed into law, the hol... Read more

A great speaker, who spoke as if there was no tomorrow. Sadly for him there was no tomorrow. A passionate speaker who literally gave his life to deliver his message of equality.

UPDATE: What continues to entertain me on almost all MLK lists is the vitriol you receive when you question King's sincerity or his eligibility for canonization. Jeez, even zero calls him a flawed man. Is he a racist, is he going to burn in hell? King developed his schtick over a long period of time, just like Jesse Jackson has. There was no question he was risking his life with it, he knew it and so did everyone else. He did some good and he did some bad things, like every other person. But somehow characterizing King as having done more for blacks than Abe Lincoln, phew, just do the math. King said things in speeches, Lincoln DID things. ORIGINAL COMMENT 2/13/05: A very over-hyped leader of the 20th century. For the current liberal-dominated black political ideology to revere this man more than Abraham Lincoln is ridiculous. Lincoln did more for blacks than did King, and his federal holiday was eliminated. Where was the outrage?

A man of peace, love and humility. Never mind about his private life; we're all human and we all make mistakes. But what he did by uniting Americans to achieve brotherhood and sanctity was unprecedented in a time of healing. All he wanted was a better America for ALL people, regardless of race. ... I love this man and you should too.

a flawed man, and i even hate to begin by saying that to justify a positive review for this man. but it's true, like all great leaders, you cannot be a saint. but Martin Luther King despite whatever dirt you can dig up on him, was a moving and important voice for black americans in a time when they needed someone as a leader. MLK was a focal point and a leader while alive and paid the ultimate price for his stance. now-a-days people like to debate King or call him lesser than he was to advance their own ignorant agenda (as evidenced on this review board) but the fact remains that MLKjtr was not only a leader to people of the same race, but a voice in the fight of equality for all people in the 1960s, whose overaching message can still be felt. negative comments on this board well....take a look at them. the usual narrow-minded culprits.

To those who have heaped garbage onto his legacy and contiue to do so today, be it in the form of violence, hateful rhetoric, and lies, Dr. King would have given you the time of day if you had asked him. If you had something to say, he would listen. If you suffered because of the hatred or bigotry of another person, he would take it to the streets if he could. This man symbolized everything that is good in a human being, and to those who would undermine his legacy, I say you should be ashamed of yourselves. To those who think Dr. King was a racist or a womanizer, I ask that you go to any library in this nation and to sort yourself out. You will find that you are in the same category of people as those who deny the historical veracity of the Holocaust and those who deny that women and minorities are human beings that deserve the equal rights as those of any other person on this planet. If you still think Dr. King was a horrible man, then you probably need a psychologist's help. One ... Read more

Yes,he was a human being with faults-but he was also a deeply spiritual and humanitarian leader who spoke with both eloquence and passion.His message is alive,strong and relevant to this day-long after some evil racist coward killed him for championing truth,equality,freedom and justice for ALL.

McGowan, you can take your hate and shove it in the proper orofice. So you don't necessarily agree with someone's thinking, BFD. Get over yourself and listen to them anyway, you might learn something. I have a lot of respect for Dr. King and what he stood for, and I'm about as white as they come. It's too bad there are enough people still hating enough to kill the Dream for those who do dream still. I dream about it too, seeing a whole era of hate, spite, and division sent to the ash heap of history. A shame it's still not realized.

The one who started it all,who got the ball rolling ,the original black-racist-who-used-religion-as-a-media shield-and-smokescreen for his Real agenda,black racsim.And,a total phony and pathological LIAR ; he was NOT a true , registered reverend , and he was NOT a doctor - he totally PLAGIARIZED his way to a doctorial degree (And the people at the university KNEW IT , but they passed him anyway , because they feared charges of racism,if they righfully flunked him .That's right , even back in 1948 ). A confirmed Marxist, had support from the CPUSA , right up to the end.And , A total philanderer ,he deliberately screwed , and physically assaulted(Probably at the same time ) White prostitutes as his racist way of getting back at Whitey(THE FBI ,AND EVERY POLICE FORCE , IN EVERY TOWN HE POMPOUSLY , SMUGLY , AND PIOUSLY STRUTTED THROUGH , HAVE A VERITABLE MOUNT EVEREST OF EVIDENCE , ESPECIALLY , HIDDEN MIC TAPE RECORDINGS!!!!ALL of this , and more, has been sealed in documents , that have... Read more

The man dedicates his life to the peaceful advancement of equal rights for all Americans. McGowan, there are lots of devils out there - by choosing MLK to spew against, you may be saying something about yourself.

McGowan, I don't know who you are, but your beliefs regarding Martin Luther King are rather odd. I don't see Martin Luther King as a black racist. He advocated peaceful protest, not rioting in the streets. And blacks back in the 1950s had a lot to protest;they were treated like 2nd class citizens, attended inferior schools, held inferior jobs, and lived in inferior neighborhoods. I think he was a splendid leader and an admirable force for good. Yes, I've heard he was a philanderer, and a skirt-chaser, but I am rating him as a leader, and I am not judging him as God would.

great man too bad he thought white amerikkans could be redeemed and to louiethe20th I never saw the nation of islam ever bomb a government building, kill jewish children at a community center or send anthrax to our postal workers but i know that whiteboys did. dr. king was a great man whose words are used by white conservatives to violate our human rights to all those whites who commit political necrophillia why don't you drive to atlanta dig him up and have sex with him make sure you wear a condom when you use that dumb speech to keep us guilty.I don't like you whites and don't lie about it.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the greatest figures of the 20th century. He also, deservedly, is one of the most beloved figures in American history, fighting for civil rights, not only for African Americans, but for all Americans. A tireless crusader for the downtrodden and the voiceless, King used his great eloquence and force of personality to effect the further cause of freedom. King was, in short, a great man who all Americans should always remember and hold in the highest esteem.

King arguably did more than anyone to ensure that America isn't perceived as a sad joke when it comes to basic rights.He is particularly missed,when compared to his so-called replacements.

Social activist, pacifist, Jedi...a true legend...

The perfect man at the perfect time. It was a violent time, and what the country and the civil-rights movement needed was a voice of reason, and patience, and peace, and they found it in this magnificent leader, one of the finest and noblest leaders ever to emerge in North America.

An imperfect man, to be sure, but who of us isn't? He never claimed to be perfect, though. At the core, he displayed immeasurable courage in leading a movement that never should have been needed in the first place. The end result of his effort was that this nation took a large and important step towards becoming the great nation that we all wnat it to be.

Martin Luther King was the orator of his generation. His words more than any other gave the Civil Rights Movement forward momentum. His I Have A Dream Speech was perfectly delievered to maximize impact. The delivery of course was only part of it; the words themselves had power. He reduced the question of race to a singular simple question: why should we discriminate when it is just skin color? Your individuality isn't determined by the pigment of your skin. Read King's Letter From Birmingham for some very insightful views on race relations in America; in many ways he touches on a lot of the key issues revolving around the American quest for equality.

King is a foremost socio-reformer,the enviable American society lives on the death of such socio-martyr.

Bothers me a bit when people feel the need to demean MLKJ's legacy. The one star rating someone gave to his skills as a speaker is rather silly. Regardless of personal politics, it's obvious that MLKJ was an incredibly stirring and gifted speaker. Speeches have seldom been so influential or quoted as much.

the i have a dream speech is probably the most effective, moving speech of the 20th century.

Actually Joseph Stalin wasn't a good orator. He needed a buzzer to tell people when to stop and start cheering after his speeches. Another thing we are rating him as an orator. I regularly quote this guy because of his firm and proud message Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, we are free at last!

He was an excellent orator. When he said his speeches, Everyone listened! He was a very intelligent and articulate man.

I agree with his messages of peace and equality, and he wasn't that bad of an orator; but I can't give anyone more than 1 star who used charitable funds for communist interests and prostitution. He also plagiarized his way through college, wasn't really a Dr. or a Reverend, and his original name wasn't even really Martin Luther. The man is a living lie, and it's a shame that this is the kind of man blacks had to look up to during the Civil Rights movement. But as I said before, I agree with his positive messages, just not his lifestyle or personal interests. And keep in mind that Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were also good orators.

he is a great nobel man . if it wasn't for him there would still be racist countries and no equality for blacks.

Being a black man of his times, I commend him on attacking segregation in he US. It is unfortunate that he was shot, imagine the deeds that he would have accomplished if he would have had an additional 10 years to live.

One of the most influential leaders in a quarter century. He truly was the Civil Rights movement and hoped to achieve equality by "Peaceful Revolution". He was passionate about improving the lot of African Americans, and he was brave for sacrificing his life for that cause. He was a very good public speaker who was able to give promise and hope to oppressed African Americans. The common question that many ask is "What would MLK think about our progress as a nation today?". Well, I honestly do not know. I do know that he preached about EQUALITY, and I truly do not believe that he would wholeheartedly support affirmative action. While I believe in some of the affirmative action laws, others place TOO MUCH emphasis on race. His goal was noble, but we have drifted away from that goal.

This man's contributions to civil rights for blacks in the United States are truly extraordinary. Dr. King was not perfect, but who is. Many people like to dwell on the negative aspects of Dr. King's life, calling him a communist and I even heard someone mention racist which is completely absurd. Because of King and many other courageous blacks and whites who took a stand against racism, things are a lot better for blacks today than they were 50 years ago so he didn't waste his time, but there is still a long way to go before things are where they should be.

He loses a point for plagiarizing a dissertion and for his infidelity. But SOMEONE needed to step up to the plate, inform ignorant Northern whites what was going on, and pave a way to defeat segregation while at the same time praising whites who supported his cause and preaching that raising fists in anger and claiming black supremacy (like Jackson, Sharpton, and the Nation of Islam) would only discredit them. For that reason he is a true American hero and martyr and deserves a holiday (though we still have time to honor Lincoln and Washington, unlike what the anti-King crowds seem to think). And really, he was just a man, not a god. As a minister, I'm sure he realized that.

MLK was a hero and a great leader. he changed the way African Americans were treated and could have done much more if he wasnt assassinted.