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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Just a minor vent:

I am listening to my 3rd grader’s class and the teacher is discussing Martin Luther King Jr. A lot of what she is saying is great, but she said that Martin Luther King was loved by the country and the world because he used peaceful means to protest. 
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This just isn’t true and it’s a myth I wish would go away. He was probably the least popular person in the country at the time. [/b]I am going to discuss this briefly with my child because I want him to know that doing the right thing is often unpopular.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/04/04/martin-luther-king-jr-50-years-assassination-donald-trump-disapproval-column/482242002/

That’s all, have a lovely long weekend. [/quote]

"Popular"?  To me, this seems like an odd word to use about someone like MLK -- as opposed to, say, a pop star.  You also seem very certain that "this just isn't true and it's a myth".  Perhaps a better, more nuanced, perspective would ask something more like: "Who respected and loved Dr. King -- and who did not? And what might account for these widely differing points of view? "  No one is universally "popular" and advocating for the powerless is not likely to be "popular" among many of the powerful, but, I can assure you that many, many people loved, respected, and valued Dr. King during his life time.  Many people read his books, listened to his sermons and speeches, risked their lives as they shared his faith in the justness of his cause, and some even had framed pictures of him alongside their family portraits.

Having said that, I do think your goal of having a discussion with your son is a good one.

I've been holding this back, but I have to say it:  OP, do you actually know any actual Black people? How about any actual Black American people over 60 or so?  While not everyone revered Dr. King during his lifetime, the idea that "he was probably the least popular person in the country at that time" is flat out wrong.  I'm sure you know where I could go with this.....

Wishing you a lovely long weekend too.

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I suppose it depends on your definition of popular. From the way I have heard it used in discussions about politicians and social justice groups and figures, it just means how favorable or unfavorable they are rated in the polls. At the time of his death, MLK had a very high unfavorable rating, whereas now his unfavorable rating is very low.

I have black friends, but no, none are over 60. I don’t know if this matters, but I do listen to Black Americans who are over 60, like MLK’s daughter, who said “ on’t act like everyone loved my father. He was assassinated. A 1967 poll reflected that he was one of the most hated men in America. Most hated. Many who quote him now and evoke him to deter justice today would likely hate, and may already hate, the authentic King.” I don’t know many white people over 60 (mostly just my parents and in-laws who were in their teens at the time of his death), and they all think Dr. King was great, but I don’t know what they thought of him at the time.

The talking points you bring up are good ones. I will share those with my son. Thank you.

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