Dedicating highways, schools, monuments and a national holiday to Martin Luther King Jr. often obscures his status as a radical bent on revolutionizing American race relations and faith, according to author and King scholar Lewis Brogdon. “Those are great things,…
A new metaphor could change the views of white evangelical conservatives
Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington is an opportunity to reflect not only on the vision of Black liberationists, but also on how conservative white evangelicals’ resistance to change is continuing through an entitlement to power rooted…
More than a dream: The undiluted legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
It has been 60 years since one of the most iconic gatherings in U.S. history, On Aug. 28, 1963, in Washington D.C., the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was held. Simply known as the March on Washington, this…
60 years later, only our action can keep the dream alive
In August 2013, I was serving as a pastor on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. All month long, there was a feeling of excitement in the air. That Aug. 28 marked the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, the…
5 ministers reflect on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington
The 1963 March on Washington should be memorialized because it continues to inspire the struggle for democracy, justice and racial equality, said Elijah Zehyoue, co-director of the Alliance of Baptists. “The march represents a moment when people came together across…
Author of new MLK biography explains the logistical miracle of the March on Washington
Sixty years ago, the March on Washington might not have happened were it not for the influence of a gay activist named Bayard Rustin, according to the author of a new biography of Martin Luther King Jr. “Bayard Rustin was…
How King’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ parallels the Tennessee Three
It was Holy Week and two young Black men, motivated by the courage of their Christian convictions, took part in a nonviolent demonstration. Colleagues chided them for their participation. It was “untimely” given the circumstances, they complained. Furthermore, the young…
Faith and civil rights went together for Martin Luther King
We remember the life and accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr., who was born on Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta. His birthday became a federal holiday in 1983 and is observed on the third Monday of January. It became a…
Thomas Merton, Martin Luther King and Critical Race Theory
Opponents of teaching Critical Race Theory in U.S. classrooms allege that it indoctrinates impressionable students and, worse, makes them feel responsible for past injustices they had no part in. Much time is devoted to such indictments and to efforts to…