Expert: Martin Luther King’s Message Still Relevant Today

Pitch

As the country prepares to celebrate Martin Luther King Day (Monday, Jan. 20), King’s legacy remains important because many of the struggles he fought for – healthcare benefits, high-quality education and a living wage for all Americans – are unresolved today.

Expert

Karlos Hill, assistant professor of history, (806) 742-3744 or karlos.hill@ttu.edu

Talking Points

• The historical and cultural impact of the “I Have a Dream” speech
• The importance of the country observing Martin Luther King Day as a federal holiday
• Critics of the holiday
• The state of King’s legacy more than 40 years later

 Quotes

• “Martin Luther King’s legacy remains important today because many of the struggles he fought for are unresolved. At the end of King’s life, he advocated that all Americans receive full healthcare benefits, a high-quality education, and a living wage. Given the economic downtown of 2008 and its dire consequences for the average American, King’s vision is as relevant today as it was in the 1960s.”
• “It is not a good thing that society chooses only to remember Martin Luther King’s 1963 ‘I Have a Dream Speech’ because it papers over King’s overall contributions to world society and oversimplifies his complicated legacy — King had more than a dream.”
• “If Martin Luther King delivered his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech today it would be poorly received. King’s speech had the impact that it did in the 1960s because it was clear to most Americans (black, white, or otherwise) that racism was a major problem in U.S. society. Today, because most people believe the civil rights movement accomplished its goals and therefore race is a non-issue, the average American would not be receptive to the speech’s message.”