History UsefulNotes / MartinLutherKingJr

* ''WesternAnimation/OurFriendMartin'' shows a kid meeting him via time travel, and later trying to save him from being assassinated by bringing him to his time....[[ForWantOfANail with horrifying results]].

Dr. King's successes were marred by the violent reprisals he was forced to endure. The authorities and private citizens of Alabama and other states fought tooth and nail to impede his progress or even to kill him. He and his followers were beaten and tormented by police officers and private citizens; fire departments turned high-pressure hoses on them during marches.[[note]]For reference, fire hoses can reach upwards of 300 psi. These protesters weren't just getting sprayed with water, they were being ''blasted'' with the force of an explosive.[[/note]] Many who worked with Dr. King's organization found themselves murdered and maimed. Dr. King himself was arrested no less than 29 times. In 1958, he was stabbed in the chest by a mentally ill black woman, and nearly died. Even in the face of mounting opposition, Dr. King refused to be deterred, believing that no cost was too great for the cause of justice. He also refused to strike back, believing his moral authority was rooted in the ability to endure suffering without causing it in return. His approach was criticized by those such as UsefulNotes/MalcolmX and Stokley Carmichael, who believed that pacifism in the face of violence was simply [[PacifismBackfire playing into the hands of white supremacy]]. For his part, while he did respect Malcolm X's charisma and eloquence, King worried that his fiery rhetoric would cause more problems than it would solve. The two had [[VitriolicBestBuds a sort of uneasy friendship]] and were on the verge of a full-blown alliance shortly before Malcolm was assassinated in February 1965.

* The debut 2009 play ''The Mountaintop'' by writer Katori Hall dramatizes King's last night on Earth (immediately after the "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech) just before he is assassinated. The {{UsefulNotes/Broadway}} debut involved Creator/SamuelLJackson playing King and Creator/AngelaBassett playing "Camae", a hotel cleaner [[spoiler:who turns out to be [[GodWasMyCoPilot an angel about to fetch King]] [[DoomedByCanon when he finally is killed]]]]. It initially attracted controversy for being a WartsAndAll portrayal of King--yet nonetheless reverential of his politics and legacy.

On the flip side, the public at large has often been accused of [[PoliticallyCorrectHistory sanitizing Martin Luther King's image]], ignoring his radical message and how vigorously the United States government opposed him, and instead attempting to paint him as a colorblind, politically-neutral advocate for non-violence. His opposition to the Vietnam War is glossed over, ignoring how controversial it was was, how much of a personal and political risk he took by taking it, and how far ahead that was from the public sentiment at the time (the anti-war movement really went into high gear a few years later). Politically, he was a committed socialist, though he purposely kept his convictions vague in most settings due to the RedScare sweeping the country at the time. Latter day supporters tend to assume that King was a moderating voice in the movement, urging non-violence as opposed to his more radical contemporaries urging revolutionary violence. In fact, the opposite is true. Martin Luther King was considered one of the more radical voices in the Civil Rights Movement, his ethos a direct contrast to the more conciliatory efforts of organizations like the NAACP. His tactics, which involved repeated and flagrant disobedience of the law, his speeches expressing support for socialism and opposition to the Vietnam War, and his willingness to work with individuals with suspected communist sympathies made his opponents believe that he was a dangerous subversive. The FBI and then-Attorney General UsefulNotes/RobertFKennedy placed him under careful surveillance out of a belief that he might been a communist agent, and the Democratic and Republican Parties' leaders took a stand against him. Only when King's efforts were stonewalled did more radical elements start suggesting that nonviolence might no longer be an option (e.g. the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee suddenly becoming the Student National Coordinating Committee). Faced with an increasingly militant response, voices who had once criticized King found themselves far more receptive of his message of peaceful coexistence. King himself also often expressed doubts about the efficacy of integration, noting that white America's rampant social problems may mean [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor "integrating into a burning house."]]

* The debut 2009 play ''The Mountaintop'' by writer Katori Hall dramatizes King's last night on Earth (immediately after the "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech) just before he is assassinated. The {{Broadway}} debut involved Creator/SamuelLJackson playing King and Creator/AngelaBassett playing "Camae", a hotel cleaner [[spoiler:who turns out to be [[GodWasMyCoPilot an angel about to fetch King]] [[DoomedByCanon when he finally is killed]]]]. It initially attracted controversy for being a WartsAndAll portrayal of King--yet nonetheless reverential of his politics and legacy.

* The Music/{{U2}} song "Pride (In the Name of Love)", from ''Music/TheUnforgettableFire'', is about King. Notably, the original lyrics have an error regarding the time of King's murder; the lyrics say "Early morning" when the shooting took place at about 6 pm local time.

* He is the "Martin" from Dick Holler's 1968 [[CelebrityElegy song]] "[[UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln Abraham]], Martin, and [[UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy John]]" about the three slain leaders. In the final chorus, the three [[CelebritiesHangOutInHeaven are seen together "walking up over the hill"]] welcoming [[UsefulNotes/RobertFKennedy Bobby Kennedy]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'' episode [[Recap/TheBoondocksS1E9ReturnOfTheKing "Return of the King"]] features Dr. King as having been in a thirty-year coma rather than being assassinated in 1968. He awakens to find himself a social pariah in a post-9/11 America. There is also an In-Universe biopic in that same episode where King is played by Creator/CubaGoodingJr.

* ''Series/TheJeffersons'' episode ''The First Store'' is a flashback episode that takes place on during Martin's assassination and the family's reaction to it.

* He is the "Martin" from Dick Holler's 1968 [[CelebrityElegy song]] "[[UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln Abraham]], Martin, and UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy John]]" about the three slain leaders. In the final chorus, the three [[CelebritiesHangOutInHeaven are seen together "walking up over the hill"]] welcoming [[UsefulNotes/RobertFKennedy Bobby Kennedy]].

* He is the "Martin" from Dick Holler's 1968 [[CelebrityElegy song]] "Abraham, Martin, and John" about the three slain leaders. In the final chorus, the three [[CelebritiesHangOutInHeaven are seen together "walking up over the hill"]] welcoming [[UsefulNotes/RobertFKennedy Bobby Kennedy]].

Dr. King's successes were marred by the violent reprisals he was forced to endure. The authorities and private citizens of Alabama and other states fought tooth and nail to impede his progress or even to kill him. He and his followers were beaten and tormented by police officers and private citizens; fire departments turned high-pressure hoses on them during marches.[[note]]For reference, fire hoses can reach upwards of 300 psi. These protesters weren't just getting sprayed with water, they were being ''blasted'' with the force of an explosive.[[/note]] Many who worked with Dr. King's organization found themselves murdered and maimed. Dr. King himself was arrested no less than 29 times. In 1958, he was stabbed in the chest by a mentally ill black woman, and nearly died. Even in the face of mounting opposition, Dr. King refused to be deterred, believing that no cost was too great for the cause of justice. He also refused to strike back, believing his moral authority was rooted in the ability to endure suffering without causing it in return. His approach was criticized by those such as UsefulNotes/MalcolmX and Stokley Carmichael, who believed that pacifism in the face of violence was simply [[PacifismBackfire playing into the hands of white supremacy]]. For his part, while he did respect Malcolm X's charisma and eloquence, King worried that [[AngryBlackMan his fiery rhetoric]] would cause more problems than it would solve. The two had [[VitriolicBestBuds a sort of uneasy friendship]] and were on the verge of a full-blown alliance shortly before Malcolm was assassinated in February 1965.

* The film ''All the Way'', based on a [[Theatre/AllTheWay play of the same name]] written by Robert Schenkkan, focuses on the legislative battle to pass the Voting Rights Act, starring Anthony Mackie as Dr. King.

* The film ''All the Way'', based on a play of the same name written by Robert Schenkkan, focuses on the legislative battle to pass the Voting Rights Act, starring Anthony Mackie as Dr. King.

From then on, Martin Luther King Jr. became a household name. He, along with his newly organized Southern Christian Leadership Conference, conducted campaigns of mass protest and civil disobedience across the South to challenge Jim Crow laws. Inspired by Christian luminaries such as St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine of Hippo, Dr. King believed he had a moral imperative to disobey unjust laws and encourage others to do the same. Inspired by UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi's leadership of the Indian independence movement, Dr. King believed that his strategy
of nonviolent resistance was the key to defeating Jim Crow once and for all. To this end, he organized sit-ins, walk-outs, voter registration drives, strikes, and marches. His most famous campaigns include the '''Birmingham Movement''' in the Spring of 1963, a campaign to desegregate "the most segregated city in America". in the '''March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom''' in the Summer of 1963, which culminated in Dr. King's most famous "''I Have a Dream''" speech and was instrumental in persuading Presidents UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy and UsefulNotes/LyndonJohnson to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the '''Montgomery-Selma Marches''', which served as a catalyst for the passing of the Voting Rights Act in 1964. During the first of his many harsh jail stints of the first of these campaigns, he wrote his most famous written piece: ''Letter from Birmingham Jail''. Provoked by a published appeal by 8 white Alabama clergyman against his civil disobedience -- euphemistically titled "A Call for Unity" -- King explained "the fierce urgency of Now," insisting that direct action against segregation was both morally and practically necessary. Criticizing the hypocrisy of those who would acknowledge the existence of racial injustice while refusing to take an active role in opposing it, he popularized the legal axiom of "justice delayed too long justice denied." The publication of the letter marked a turning point in King's crusade, representing the zenith of his reputation as the Movement's voice. For these efforts and others, Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

From 1967 to 1968, Dr. King turned his attention to opposing UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar and campaigning for economic justice in his Poor People's Campaign. On April 3, 1968, Dr. King delivered what would be his last sermon, titled ''I've Been to the Mountaintop'', where [[FamousLastWords he famously declared]]: "...I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land." The next day, his words proved prophetic. On April 4, 1968, while attempting to help organize a sanitation worker's strike in Memphis, Tennessee, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. In the wake of Dr. King's death, the country erupted into a series of race riots in major cities in both the North and South. Though the riots eventually subsided, Dr. King's death at the hands of a white assassin -- [[GunmanWithThreeNames James Earl Ray]] -- left a deep scar on American race relations that has yet to be fully healed. Furthering the divide are suspicions that Dr. King's death remains yet unsolved, that Ray was either part of a conspiracy to kill Dr. King, or else was a scapegoat.[[note]]Dr. King's widow and children have taken the position that James Earl Ray is innocent, and that the assassination was a conspiracy by state and local officials. Loyd Jowers, a restaurateur who allegedly headed the conspiracy, was found civilly liable for Dr. King's death. However, Ray has never been exonerated.[[/note]] Some suspect the FBI's COINTELPRO program, which had worked to monitor and sabotage Dr. King's efforts, but these claims have never been fully substantiated.

From then on, Martin Luther King Jr. became a household name. He, along with his newly organized Southern Christian Leadership Conference, conducted campaigns of mass protest and civil disobedience across the South to challenge Jim Crow laws. Inspired by Christian luminaries such as St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine of Hippo, Dr. King believed he had a moral imperative to disobey unjust laws and encourage others to do the same. Inspired by UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi's leadership of the Indian independence movement, Dr. King believed in nonviolent resistance (as espoused by Gandhi) as the key to defeating Jim Crow once and for all. To this end, he organized sit-ins, walk-outs, voter registration drives, strikes, and marches. His most famous campaigns include the '''Birmingham Movement''' in the Spring of 1963, a campaign to desegregate "the most segregated city in America"/ where he was jailed and wrote his most famous written piece, ''Letter from Birmingham Jail'', where King explained why the call to "Wait" for something better, said often enough, translates into "Never" and why the fight for Justice needs to embrace "the fierce urgency of Now" while he popularised the legal axiom of "Justice delayed too long, is Justice denied." With that kind of fire in his crusade, King drove it further in the '''March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom''' in the Summer of 1963, which culminated in Dr. King's most famous "''I Have a Dream''" speech, and the '''Montgomery-Selma Marches''', which served as a catalyst for the passing of the Voting Rights Act in 1964. For these efforts and others, Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

Martin Luther King's legacy is far-reaching. After his death, he inspired a new generation of social activist clergy and Black Power movements to carry on his work, both at home and abroad. His work was also responsible for bringing white people into the Civil Rights struggle in never-before-seen numbers, moved both by his suffering brought to them in living color on the news and by his commitment to peaceful coexistence with a group of people that didn't even acknowledge his humanity. As a posthumous figure, Martin Luther King continues to be the source of controversy. Even today, there are those who wish to acknowledge him as nothing more than a rabble-rouser who flouted law and order for his own political ends. The decision to recognize his birthday as a national holiday was ''extremely'' controversial when first proposed, and there are still some states which categorically refuse to celebrate it.[[note]]Some states, such as Alabama and Virginia, have gotten around this opposition by also making Robert E. Lee's birthday (he was born on January 19, 1807) a state holiday on the same day. Naturally, that just means bifurcated observances, as those inclined to celebrate one would generally be vehemently opposed to celebrating the other.[[/note]] Expect critics to delve into more unsavory aspects of his personal life, such as his marital infidelities which were later revealed to the public as part of the FBI's {{Blackmail}} campaign and later revelations that some of his theological works, including his doctoral dissertation, were partially plagiarized. Critics of a more liberal bent note that Dr. King had rather patronizing views of homosexuality, believing it was a mental illness that could be [[CureYourGays overcome through prayer]]. Despite his close collaboration with Bayard Rustin and Creator/JamesBaldwin (both gay men) in organizing the March on Washington, he ultimately capitulated to public pressure to keep them at a distance. His wife, Coretta Scott King, was mostly responsible for including gay rights in the Civil Rights Movement, highlighting the mentorship role Rustin played in visiting India to research non-violent strategies at Gandhi's ashrams and organizing the March on Washington.

From then on, Martin Luther King Jr. became a household name. He, along with his newly organized Southern Christian Leadership Conference, conducted campaigns of mass protest and civil disobedience across the South to challenge Jim Crow laws. Inspired by Christian luminaries such as St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine of Hippo, Dr. King believed he had a moral imperative to disobey unjust laws and encourage others to do the same. Inspired by UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi's successful attempts to win India's independence from British rule, Dr. King believed in nonviolent resistance as the key to defeating Jim Crow once and for all. To this end, he organized sit-ins, walk-outs, voter registration drives, strikes, and marches. His most famous campaigns include the '''Birmingham Movement''' in the Spring of 1963, a campaign to desegregate "the most segregated city in America"/ where he was jailed and wrote his most famous written piece, ''Letter from Birmingham Jail'', where King explained why the call to "Wait" for something better, said often enough, translates into "Never" and why the fight for Justice needs to embrace "the fierce urgency of Now" while he popularised the legal axiom of "Justice delayed too long, is Justice denied." With that kind of fire in his crusade, King drove it further in the '''March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom''' in the Summer of 1963, which culminated in Dr. King's most famous "''I Have a Dream''" speech, and the '''Montgomery-Selma Marches''', which served as a catalyst for the passing of the Voting Rights Act in 1964. For these efforts and others, Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

* He is the "Martin" from Dick Holler's 1968 [[CelebrityElegy song]] "Abraham, Martin, and John" about the three slain leaders. In the final chorus, the three [[CelebritiesHangOutInHeaven are seen together "walking up over the hill"]] welcoming [[UsefulNotes/RobertFKennedy Bobby Kennedy]].

From then on, Martin Luther King Jr. became a household name. He, along with his newly organized Southern Christian Leadership Conference, conducted campaigns of mass protest and civil disobedience across the South to challenge Jim Crow laws. Inspired by Christian luminaries such as St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine of Hippo, Dr. King believed he had a moral imperative to disobey unjust laws and encourage others to do the same. Inspired by UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi's successful attempts to win India's independence from British rule, Dr. King believed in nonviolent resistance as the key to defeating Jim Crow once and for all. To this end, he organized sit-ins, walk-outs, voter registration drives, strikes, and marches. His most famous campaigns include the '''Birmingham Movement''' in the Spring of 1963, a campaign to desegregate "the most segregated city in America"/ where he was jailed and wrote his most famous written piece, ''Letter from Birmingham Jail'', where King explained why the call to "Wait" for something better, said often enough, translates into "Never" and why the fight for Justice needs to embrace "the fierce urgency of Now." With that kind of fire in his crusade, King drove it further in the '''March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom''' in the Summer of 1963, which culminated in Dr. King's most famous "''I Have a Dream''" speech, and the '''Montgomery-Selma Marches''', which served as a catalyst for the passing of the Voting Rights Act in 1964. For these efforts and others, Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.