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Today the nation honors Civil Rights activist and beloved humanitarian Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his legacy of fighting tirelessly against racism, poverty, and and global injustice.

Though an advocate for fighting for change through non-violence, Dr. King’s radical activism and legacy has been made palatable, diminishing his true beliefs in eradicating social and economic injustice to a lukewarm version white progressives and conservatives can celebrate without any personal reflection on their actions or lack of action that allows injustice to flourish in this country.

Dr. Bernice King, Dr. King’s daughter, spent the MLK weekend and holiday honoring her father with rare photos, quotes, and interesting facts about the hero, revealing his true, less palatable beliefs.

Interesting facts about MLK:

  • Martin Luther King Jr.’s first name on his birth certificate was actually Michael until the age of 5. It is believed that after his father, MLK Sr., went on a trip to Germany and learned about Protestant Reformation leader Martin Luther, he changed his name as well as his son’s.
  • 6-year-old King Jr. was apart of the Negro boys choir at his father’s Ebeneezer Baptist Church, and was apart of the choir for the grand opening of Gone With The Wind.
  • Although King Jr. entered Morehouse College at 15-years-old, he wasn’t recognized as a graduating high school student because he skipped 9th and 12th grade.
  • As the son, grandson, and great-grandson of Baptist preachers, King Jr. was reluctant to become a pastor. He was encouraged however by Dr. Benjamin E. Mayes, and was ordained before graduating college.
  • Dr. King Jr. believed in reparations. Now that’s something you won’t see any politicians mentioning this MLK holiday.

“At the very same time that America refused to give the Negro any land,” King argues, “through an act of Congress our government was giving away millions of acres of land in the West and the Midwest, which meant it was willing to undergird its white peasants from Europe with an economic floor.”

“But not only did they give them land,” King continues, “they built land grant colleges with government money to teach them how to farm. Not only that, they provided county agents to further their expertise in farming. Not only that, they provided low interest rates in order that they could mechanize their farms.”

“Now, when we come to Washington in this campaign, we are coming to get our check.”