What was otherwise shaping up to be another perfect MLK day of celebrating America’s most beloved pastor by a group a friends was ruined today when one of their number deviated from the standard practice of reciting Doctor King’s “I have a dream”, instead quoting angry frustrated passages from his other writings.
“MLK day is all about peace and love but he has to ruin it with this negative energy about riots and ingrained injustice.”
The young man seemed particularly concerned to impart to his white friends that Martin Luther King was not a beloved cuddly teddybear in his time, but a feared radical determined to unseat a racist status quo. They nodded politely as he continued to get it all wrong.
“He’s my friend, yes, but I hate the way he talks MLK down like that. If he wasn’t black, I’d say something.”
Other members of the small social circle wondered what was it that could have led to their friend developing such a distorted view of one of America’s greatest figures.
“It’s like he doesn’t get MLK’s message about how wonderful this universal love we all feel is. And yet he’s the black one!?!”
The friends of the young African American man privately agreed they should exclude him from their MLK celebrations next year.
“He’s just so angry all the time.”
Having read this I thought it was extremely enlightening. I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this content together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
Why not include some of MLK’s anti war, socialist or angry quotes?
Satire, generally, is a parody of reality. This parody speaks to the whitewashing of MLK and his legacy. Even by today’s standards, some of his writings would be considered radical and could cause discomfort for some white liberals.
Oops. Just saw it’s a satirical site. Oh well. Comment still holds.
This is called “white fragility.” They need to read the book by Robin Diangelo called “White Fragility.” Time to wake up.
It sounds like the “black friend” is more in touch with the reality of the 1960’s and the present than his white friends are!
Pauline, first of all, this is a satire site. Second of all, rabble-rousers and leftists are stirring up the ILLUSION of this reversal you speak of, and unfortunately, simple minded dimwits fall hook line and sinker.
Because Black people cannot observe and discern what they see with their own eyes in their own lives? My goodness that is condescending and infantilizing.
Most of us are Angry, especially now that after all theses years some advances have been reversed and Racism is alive and well. It sounds like these Caucasian folks really do not know Rev. dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And are not trying to know him.
White people not knowing the true MLK is for the best. It’s better for him to be thought of better than he was in real life. He routinely plagiarized in college. He even borrowed ideas for his I have a dream speech. He constantly cheated on his wife. He wasn’t a very good person outside of civil rights. He would probably be as much of a joke as Jesse Jackson is today if he didn’t get shot.