Martin Luther King Jr.

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 1831 the Underground railroad helped anywhere from 40,000 to 100,000 slaves Become free.
->In 1861 Lincolns abolitionist views (among many other complicated factors) led the South to secede which started the Civil War. In the end 620,000 lost their lives (out of a population of some 35 million), making it the costliest conflict in American history.
->1865 the 13th Amendment abolishes slavery (Yay!)
->1896 Segregation begins
->1909 NAACP founded
->1920 America realizes that Blacks are a swinging group of people and literature, music and Art became mainstream
->1947 Jackie Robinson started his career in the Big Leagues, thus limiting whites in Sports forevermore.
->1954 Brown versus BOE ruled segregation in Public Schools to be unconstitutional.
->1955 the Montgomery Bus boycott led the U.S.Supreme Court to declare that the bus company’s segregation seating policy was unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
->1963 Birmingham Church bombing
->1963 Kings march on Washington
->1964 Civil Rights act gave the federal government more Power to protect citizens against discrimination on the basis of Race, Religion, sex or national origin
->1965 March from Selma to Montgomery
->1965 Malcolm Little, AKA Malcolm X, Assassinated
->1965 Voting Rights Act
->1966 Rise of Black Power
->1968 Fair Housing act
->1968 Dr. King Assassinated
->1978 Affirmative Action
->1992 the Rodney King riots
->1995 Million Man March
->2009 Obama elected first black president

About a month ago, I was watching "Jazz Singer," which, if you are not familiar, was the first Talkie and has Al Jolson prancing around in Blackface. An historical moment, sure, but still, I'm glad times have changed. It struck me, that in only 90 years black people went from being considered Segregated, second class citizens who were sometimes lynched and murdered, to gaining rights and Constitutional freedoms to having a Black man president. 90 years isn't a long time for so much to Happen. There are probably people today who in their lifetimes never thought they would see a day when Blacks could vote, or operate on people, or drink from the same Water fountain. Regardless of what you think of Obama as president, it is cool to see what a long way we have come.

Dr. King was a minister, a pacifist, and a great Leader. He was murdered because there were people in the world who couldn't handle his truth. It makes my heart smile to see that He (and many others) stepped up to the plate and turned America around.
Thank you, Dr. King.


"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent."
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. "
"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it. "
"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."



All quotes copied and pasted from: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/martin_ luther_king_jr_2.html

"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.

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 disrespected., which I can understand some of his imperfection coming out to the front because of the way he was treated. Anger set in, discontentment, loneliness, and fear. I love Kennedy, and Kennedy loved Martin, and was inspired by him. and he did a lot of wrong. I love Farakan, and Farakan loved Martin, and was inspired by him. I was a member of the Nation of Islam, and Farakan is one of the few Great men still living, because he risks his life every day speaking out against injustices. And he would be the first one to tell you that he has flaws, and that he is not perfect. Why do you think Farakan can speak on solutions, because he has a level of experience in most of the things that an imperfect man has done. it's just that when he found the solution to change he acted upon it, and didn't keep it to himself, he helped others to see it too, and he has lived long enough for him to work on his flaws and for us to forget his flaws and just focus on the good he has done. Martin didn't live long enough to do that They shot him down in cold blood. Sometimes it's easier to help others than to help youself, and God pays attention and gives blessings to those that help others, because He will forgive you. Thats why I am glad that God is not like man.

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.

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 are following your dream of know racism.

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 holiday in his honor?

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 day, this nation will see were it has gone wrong, and those who spew the evil that is hatred and intolerance will see were they have gone wrong...and there will be equal rights for all. Whether or not it will happen this century...well that's hard to tell. Either way, Dr. King was one of this nation's greatest leaders, and it is a great disgrace to him that he was not included in the list for the World's most influential people. Judging from your usually strains and grunts of hate speech MCGOWAN, I think we can narrow down who you pretty much are! With 99% certainty I can state that you are either somehow related to Zell Miller or are one of his former employee's/a deluded boogeymen.

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 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.

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 been prohibited from being known , for another 30 years, or so . If he has no skeletons in his closet , or motel rooms , then you have nothing to hide, right?So why would his family demand they not be opened for such a long time?) .THAT is his true legacy, just observe his descendants - jesse jackson, al sharpton,kwesi mfume, benjamin hooks, etc.EVERY city,large and small,now has a black racist , who claims to be a revrend,that uses religion as his smokescreen for being a race-baiting extortionist,who will threaten black rioting if Whitey don't give him what he whines for, and they have friends in High Places, to protect them , to keep them from being rightfully prosecuted )May the total truth be exposed about this devil,may he and his legacy end up on the trash heap of history,where it should have been all this time.And, may he be burning in hell for his flood of sins,against humanity, and White/Western Civilization, because he deserves nothing less.

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.

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

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

no comment

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.

No Comment

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.

He wasted his time. All black leaders today (Sharpton and Jackson especially) are lying racists who steal money from poor people. MLK had a great idea; too bad it wasent carried out.

The greatest injustice for America was his unfortunate and unjust assassination at a time when his core beliefs were becoming apparent. He might have lived to be a Jesse Jackson. His apotheosis by the left is hyperbolic and inaccurate. The MLK holiday's displacement from the calendar of the Lincoln or Washington’s holiday is simpleminded, dishonest pandering. Aside from issues on his reprehensible personal moral behavior (which just in case you were napping during the Clinton/Gore interregnum, it is very indicative of his over all morality and the true reasons for a person’s actions), he was intellectually dishonest. The research project on his written works at Boston University discovered that he engaged in wholesale plagiarism all throughout his time there. I frequently point out to people that if you’re observant during the film of his famous “I have a dream speech” from the march on Washington, you will see that he is surrounded on the podium by “Fruit of Islam” security guards from the rabidly racist Nation of Islam. His tolerance of racism wasn't quite as Christian or pure as many would have us believe. I don't know for certain whether he was good or evil man but the left who so admire him have such a lousy record of honesty that I have to be very skeptical.

He was charismatic, but was mostly a figurehead. I think it's time we recognized some of the people behind this huge figure, and gave them their due.

THE GREATEST AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER EVER! HIS I HAD A DREAM SPEECH IS ONE OF THE GREATEST EVER IN AMERICAN HISTORY. HE PREACHED EQUALITY NOT ONLY FOR BLACKS BUT FOR ALL AMERICANS, NO MATTER WHAT RACE, ETHNIC BACKGROUND, OR RELIGION THEY BELONGED TO.

His dream is gone. Recent black leaders have turned his movement into a self-serving nationalism. Equal rights do NOT translate into preferential treatment, quotas, and dependence on the system. MLK would march against the popular black movement of today.

The great American prophet of the 20th century. Reading books about his speeches and challenges were highlights of my college studies. Too bad he is not emphasized enough in high school. Combined the philosophy of the French intellectual Paul Tillich, the non-violence of Ghandi, and Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" to create a lasting contemporary philosophical movement. He is underrated as a writer.

He was a womanizer, and apparently plagiarized other documents when he wrote his dissertation. Yet, the ideals he stood for were supreme, and are badly needed today. It's a shame that modern "civil rights" leaders are deliberately drawing peoples' attention to skin color, and promoting ill will. At least King tried to get us to value the content of a person's character. Only God knows what was in His heart. But his words were often powerful.

I like him. Segregation was a problem in his time and he lead the crusade against it. He also did it while reinforcing non-violence. The things he spoke were not divisive or hostile as some civil rights leaders that came later. He even openly praised white people that were supportive of his cause. He was a gifted speaker and I love his famous speech as well as other things he said. However, I don't think the worship of him that the media has created is justified. He and JFK are treated like gods. They were only human, okay? I have heard bad things about MLKs personal life, which I must admit I have not done any personal research on. I would like to think the bad things are not true. But true or not, he was still just a man - not the Messiah.

How could you even think about giving the man less than five stars? Sure, he was quite religious, but he did not interject his faith into everything he did, like Jerry Falwell does. This is a man who spoke out for equal rights for everyone, not just under the racial heading, like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have this tendency to do. He was about as tolerant as they come, and possibly the thing that turns me on the most about him is his non-violent approach to just about everything. In his eyes, all human beings were equal, no matter the circumstances. MLK, where are you when we need you? I admire how King could not be moved from where he stood, no matter what action was taken against him. I don't know if I could be arrested thirteen times and still stick as strong as ever by my beliefs. Overall, MLK was just a wonderful person inside and out, and the world could really use some more people like him. Take care, everyone!

A man of vision, intelligence, and peace. His life and what he achieved in the exact moments in time that he achieved it makes you believe there are no mistakes or coincidences - in heaven or on earth.

I am a caucasian, raised by a father who was bigoted and a mother who taught of compassion. My father was a good man, but shortsighted. I have thankfully taken after my mothers ideals as a man. In forming my opinions of things, I tend to read a lot. My opinion of Dr. King is simple, he was the greatest leader in American history, bar none. He was the man who could have united us all. He was the man who saw the civil rights movement not as "affirmative action" but truly as all Americans just being Americans. He was a man who sacrificed his and his families safety for the greater good of the world. He was intelligent beyond what most people realize. He was an awsome, powerful speaker and an equally strong write (read "Letters from Birmingham Jail" sometime). It is his view of America that I wish for, where we are all equal; black, white, jew, gentile, man, woman. All of us. Truly one nation united. I wish I could have had a chance to meet this great man, to thank him for all he has done for the world, for the sacrifices he made, and for making this country a better place than it was.