Whoever King really was, whatever he sincerely believed, the image of King worth celebrating was presented in that 1963 speech. We aspire toward a world where children "will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." That vision of racial reconciliation, of judgment according to merit, speaks to each and every human being. It's something we can and should get behind. It evokes the American spirit, a point emphasized when King cited the Declaration of Independence. Ninety-four percent of Americans came to favor King because they associate him with that dream, not because they support whatever radicalism he later embraced.I haven't read enough of Dr. King's speeches or writings to know what his feelings are on any particular subjects. The Civil Rights Movement was necessary regardless of how it appears to be hijacked later. That article shows how Dr. King hit his peak through the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act and he was able to defeat segregationists of the south.
Either way question we have to ask is whether or not Dr. King radicalized before his tragic death and even then does his work during the civil rights movement show a measure of a man.
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