The death of Martin Luther King should not obscure his life achievements

When Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. hadn’t been tragically killed on April 4, 1968, and had instead lived a long and successful life, there would be no Martin Luther King holiday today.

The sad irony of King’s terrible end has elevated him to the status of a mythical character in the eyes of many. More importantly, it made the American public confront the prejudice and hatred against which he had fought for 39 years, often in front of small or unsympathetic crowds.

There have been other African Americans who have been bolder and more influential than King, but he is one of the best. Frederick Douglass, in particular, escaped slavery to become the most prominent black rights advocate in the United States in the 19th century.

Yet neither Frederick Douglass neither Harriet Tubman nor any of the other activists who have fought against inequality have ever named a holiday after them. Following his assassination, King’s death forced a stunned America to confront his legacy. During his lifetime, King was important, but not as loved, adored, or respected as he is today.

According to a 1966 Gallup poll, 63% of respondents disapproved of King. Nearly half of those surveyed had the least favorable opinion of King possible. King was admired by many and reviled by others, like so many great leaders. During his lifetime he achieved great fame, but he never reached legendary status.

What changed on that fateful day in 1968? Perhaps it was the shame of a nation that had only occasionally heeded his warnings and pleaded with him, as when he led the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott in support of Rose Parks in 1955 and delivered the “I have a dream” speech in Washington, DC, eight years later.

Publicly opposing the Vietnam War from the start, King lost the support of many in the early 1960s. During the tense civil rights movement of the 1960s, there was much disagreement within the black community about King, whose Gandhian commitment to nonviolence was challenged by many, most notably Malcolm X.

There is great significance in both King’s life and death as a martyr. Reminding us that it does not take a national catastrophe to understand the words, wisdom and pleas of a decent citizen for equality and justice (as happened on April 4, 1968).

Conclusion

There wouldn’t be a Martin Luther King holiday today if Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. lived a long and fruitful life instead of being brutally murdered on April 4, 1968.

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