Today I have a piece in The Commercial Appeal reflecting on Martin Luther King Jr. and white supremacy in the United States.
Here’s an excerpt:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the most iconic figure of the civil rights movement. His leadership and justice ministry changed the course of history. With prophetic courage, he spoke to a watching world about a Christian vision of equality, justice, and human dignity.
In his speeches and sermons, as he sounded forth the call for equality and justice, he shaped the consciences of people across the nation — including those of men and women who attended churches just like mine.
Dr. King’s understanding of human dignity was founded upon the Christian Scriptures. As the struggle for civil rights advanced on multiple fronts, he spoke courageously from this foundation.
In the political realm, Dr. King pointed out how the American system was inconsistent with Jeffersonian principles of the “self-evident” truth that “all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.”
Read the entire piece here.
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Image Credit: Charles Harrity, AP
