Pondering the Problem with Saint Martin Luther King Jr.

“All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem 
brings us face to face with another problem.” – Martin Luther 
King, Jr.

On Monday, January 19, 2015, the U.S. will celebrate Martin 
Luther King jr. This man who sang along with his Baptist church 
at the premiere of Gone With The Wind in 1939, is known as the 
most famous American Civil Rights leader in history. The 
Reverend and Doctor, Martin Luther King jr. is celebrated every 
January as a hero and an icon. What does he mean today, however, 
in a racially charged 2015? The truth is slippery and 
problematic, and so many other deserving names of our 
forefathers and foremothers have been lost in the distant sea of 
time.

Plagiarism ?
The fact of the matter is Black History is stained with cases of 
plagiarism. Some theorize this was a natural response to an 
unwelcoming academic world. In the case of the Reverend Dr. 
Martin Luther King Jr., the New York Times reported in 1990 that 
Clayborne Carson, the Stamford historian researching Dr. King’s 
papers found “a pattern of appropriation, of textual 
appropriation,” in his PhD dissertation. This discovery came 
right at the time secrets and truths began to become uncovered 
about the man and his sexual misdeeds.

Sex ?
Most of the shocking Sex scandal accusations were raised by J. 
Edgar Hoover, the FBI’s also problematic leader. There are 
obviously exaggerated allegations of sex parties, adultery, and 
worse. A recently discovered uncensored  letter from the FBI 
denounces MLK’s  “evil playmates and… orgies.” Now, I believe 
people should have as much fun as they want, assuming everyone 
is a consenting adult. But King prided himself on being a 
spiritual leader, and this is contrary to what he preached.

Christianity ?
The Civil Rights movement led by the Black Church in the 1960's 
is problematic for me as a Pagan woman of color — for sure. Even 
within this public struggle for equality, first hand accounts 
often tell of women left to run the kitchen and the home. Who 
has to be in the kitchen, who has to be in the back of the bus… 
when the lower status positions are determined based on the 
color of one’s skin, or what is or isn’t hanging between their 
legs — we have a problem. Christianity, despite its doctrine, is 
not always the most welcoming of religions. Civil rights takes 
on a new character when viewed through the lens of continued 
religious intolerance. While Christianity is for many a uniting 
beacon, unfortunately it has been a weapon too, and for those 
who have been hurt, this is hard to ignore.

History is written by the winners, and anyone paying attention 
today can see that the Civil Rights struggle was not won after 
the 1963 March on Washington, and is still a struggle today. So 
what gets remembered will always continue to be spotty… I 
certainly never learned in grade school that this legend was 
possibly a Republican ??? Or that he and Coretta spent their 
wedding night in a funeral home. I’m not saying this man isn’t 
worthy of tribute, but let’s expand our knowledge and focus to 
include some of the other pioneers of Black History – Marcus 
Garvey, Zora Neale Hurston (Anthropologist and Folklorist), 
Stuart Hall (Godfather of Multiculturalism), and others. We all 
need a hero, I need a hero… I’m holding out for one, but maybe 
St. Martin just isn’t it.

Leader, Problem, Adulterer, or Icon, what do you think? I would 
love to hear your comments below. And remember don’t forget to 
share the problem (this post).

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/voodoouniverse/2015/01/pondering-
the-problem-with-saint-martin-luther-king-jr/
                