Martin Luther King was a great man. His accomplishments during the civil rights movement and his method of non-violence are both admirable, but I wouldn't say he is king. There are so many other civil rights leaders such as Malcom X and Huey P. Newton who deserve the same recognition Dr. King gets.
I can understand why King and his methods are awarded greatly by whites and those in power, but awarding him and not others they are almost lessening the severity of the civil rights movement. To say that non-violence was the "right answer" suggests that Jim crow laws, hate groups, and unequal rights didn't present Life or Death situations for blacks of the time. It suggests that talking it out would have worked when it almost never did, while responding violently as a means of self defense saved lives. It also downplays the disgusting racism of our American heroes, leaders, and ancestors of the past who sat by and watched and most likely benighted from unequal rights.
I am still a fan of Dr. King, his beliefs however are very much like "a dream." The ideal situation where words can fix oppression and racism. While self-defense is seen as negative and inhumane.
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