Elwood Watson: What would King stand for today?

Published 6:15 am Saturday, January 25, 2025

This month, as they have for almost forty years, millions of Americans will celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was indisputably one of the most iconic historical figures of the twentieth century, dedicating his life to ensuring that the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness would become a reality for all those who were marginalized and deprived of full citizenship and equal rights.

King endured scurrilous and acerbic attacks from his enemies during his all-too-brief life. Like many people, he was a complex man. He was prone to volatile anger. He could be bawdy and crude. He could be overtly sexist. At times, he suffered from envy. Other times, he could be ruthlessly competitive. One of the most common attacks among his critics was he engaged in adultery.

The truth is King did occasionally stray from his marital vows, but so did many white priests, politicians, and other high-level, well-appointed men. Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson come to mind, as do many of the founding fathers of our nation. J. Edgar Hoover, whose own sex life during his lifetime was routinely whispered about and discussed candidly in select private circles, incessantly discussed King’s private life with friends and the media.

As a historian and scholar of the modern civil rights movement, I am acutely aware that many Black male ministers of this era were morally deceitful. More than a few felt sex was a benefit they were entitled to, and more often than not had no qualms about stepping outside of their matrimonial bounds by sleeping around. Indeed, many harbored deeply nineteenth-century Victorian attitudes toward sexuality. Preach one thing, practice another. As a mid-twentieth-century Baptist minister, King was the product of an era where the role of women, including many Black women, was matriarchal.

On the larger front, King was candid about the limits of bootstrap politics and self-determination in a society deeply entrenched with racism, division, and intense levels of marginalization. He decried the callousness of demanding economic advancement without addressing systemic and systematic inequities, arguing “It’s all right to tell a man to lift himself by his own bootstraps, but it is a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps.” His words challenged those in power to move beyond the rhetoric of bootstrap politics and rugged individualism toward challenging and confronting institutional barriers that contributed to such conditions.

Although he would be 96-years-old today, that wouldn’t stop him (health permitting) from being on the front lines with other activists, denouncing the ongoing police brutality that routinely claims the lives of many Black and Latino Americans. He’d be a vocal critic of the apparent hostility and indifference that has defined the mainstream media and a sizable segment of white America.

A staunch advocate for equality in all its forms, King would decry augmenting tuition debt, increasingly making college unattainable for many lower-income students. He would strongly advocate for voting rights and challenge those who seek to deprive certain groups of such an opportunity. He would continue to bring attention to the multitudes of individuals who were being left behind in our society.

King would have embraced globalization. During his lifetime, he emphasized in his speeches the importance of embracing people from all corners of the world. His rhetoric of equality and justice transcended borders, sparking movements for civil rights and social justice on a global scale. Despite the fact he resided in a parochial and segregated America, King recognized the importance of diversity and cultural pluralism, envisioning a world where people from diverse backgrounds could come together harmoniously. His inclusive vision promotes unity, reminding us that embracing diversity is essential for building a just and unified society.

He would have been a vociferous critic of the alarming nationalist and fascist ideology increasingly capturing the political spirit of America and the larger hemisphere. Unlike many of today’s leaders, King would not have sacrificed his people or political constituencies for his own personal gain. He would have seen that, while there has been progress, there is still considerable work to be done.

Up until his assassination, King directly dealt with all of the unrelenting adversity that came his way. His legacy, revered by many, denounced by some, and complex to others, will continue to be the subject of fierce debate long into the future. Though his role in history will not.

Elwood Watson is a professor of history, Black studies, and sexuality studies at East Tennessee State University. He is also an author and public speaker.