MLK wasn’t popular
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Anonymous
I’m just saying he wasn’t popular among the general public like he is today, using the word oikuakeith in the sense of having a high approval rating of the general public. This definition of popularity isn’t uncommon; google “popular public figure” and you will see the word used to mean “low favorability rating.” I suppose my agenda, aside from teaching my son with historical accuracy, is just to show that pushes for civil rights are often controversial and unpopular in their day, and the civil rights efforts that seem radical today might be mainstream a generation from now. My son doesn’t actually understand that the causes he has marched for, like Black Lives Matter, are actually highly controversial and in some areas of the unpopular, and it’s time I correct that. |
Anonymous
Wow, autocorrect fail. oikuakeith = popular |
Anonymous
Thanks for your detailed response OP. I'm very interested in your plan to discuss these issues with your son. Something to think about: Dr. King was, as I've suggested, a very polarizing figure. If you're gauging "popularity" by things like polls and ratings, the chances are high that the polls, even "national polls" would not have included any/many Black people. If they did, it would often be explicitly stated, and used to compare the results with people in white communities -- which were viewed as the American norms in many publications, including scientific ones. One project that might interest you: Pick a significant date -- such as the week of King's speech in Washington, or even the date of his death. Look at a few publications oriented towards a general (white) audience), like Time, Life, Newsweek, the Washington Post, The New York Times.... Then look at some Black owned publications such as Ebony, Jet, the Amsterdam News, the Afro.... I imagine that you'll be startled by both the contemporary reports and by the contrasts between the white owned publications (which at that time had few, if any, non-white writers) and the Black owned publications. I certainly agree with Ms King's comment. In 1968, America was a very segregated country. The vast majority of politicians, police, news broadcasters and people in power were white and male, and had no interest in equality for Black Americans or even, in many cases, poor white Americans. So it's true that MLK was viciously hated by many. It's also true that he was very much respected and even loved by others, particularly in the Black communities. MLK's views and ideals were often contrasted with those of Malcolm X at the time, and those contrasts only added to the polarization. I asked if you know any Black people over 60 or so because the world has changed a lot since MLK's lifetime. Someone younger and white might not even be aware of how segregation impacted things like polls and mainstream publications, or that there were (and are) Black owned publications, Black-oriented radio stations, and other sources of information that would not be reflected in things such as polls. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to think seriously about the issues that you have raised. I hope that you and your son are enjoying an informative and peaceful day. |
Anonymous
This! It’s like saying Gandhi was “unpopular” because the majority of British people hated him. Ignoring the fact that many (though not all) Indian idolized him! Why should we care what the white oppressors think about the non-white leaders of the oppressed? |
Anonymous
School will never teach them the truth, they never told us about Juneteenth or the Oklahoma massacre or any of those events. I think it’s prefect that you tell her the true about America . Some people who quoted MLK are the same ones that think “All lives matter” and all that.. |