Today we’re starting an occasional series called #YepHeSaidIt. It features the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., words that confront injustice and rebuke those who profit from it. It’s the words that are often ignored, set aside in an attempt to sanitize his image.
As the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. approaches, we at MLK50: Justice Through Journalism want to complicate our remembering of King as merely a preacher with a sonorous voice.
Yes, King said this in his “I Have A Dream” speech at the 1963 March on Washington:
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
But he also said this in a 1967 speech in Chicago:
“The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power.”
Where Do We Go From Here?
That’s the name of King’s last book — and a segment we’ll add to most stories on MLK50.com. What can you do with what you’ve just read? Here are some suggestions.
READ: Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “The Case for Reparations” and Sandy Darity’s “The Economics of Reparations.”
ASK: For those of us who say we revere King and his legacy, ask yourself this: If justice requires the redistribution of economic and political power, how much are you willing to give up?
If not redistribution, what measures do you think will solve racial and economic injustice?
There are no wrong answers. To share your thoughts, send an email to staywoke @ mlk50.com. Selected responses will be published; let us know if you want to remain anonymous.
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