All kinds of people want to bend Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy to fit their own agenda. Here’s the actual truth.
Lie #1: He Was A Republican
“The Republican Party geared its appeal ... to racism, reaction, and extremism,” wrote MLK, though he refused to align himself with either political party.
Lie #2: He Was Conservative
A similar lie! MLK was very much in favor of “affirmative action,” birth control (he never said anything publicly about abortion), and was VERY anti-war and anti-capitalism. Conservatives even called him a communist (also not true)!
He had lots of criticism for liberals, though, too.
Lie #3: He Was A Saint Who Did No Wrong
While MLK was an incredible human whose work forever changed America and our lives, he also wasn’t perfect. His organization, the SCLC, was known for being sexist, and he cheated on his wife multiple times.
Lie #4: He Was Definitely Assassinated By James Earl Ray
While the King family believes an FBI conspiracy was behind his murder, there isn’t great evidence for this, and the “trial” that “proved” it was not a real trial.
However, the FBI did harass, intimidate, and threaten King throughout his life, even encouraging him to commit suicide! The truth is we just don’t know, and likely never will.