When I think about Martin Luther King its easy for me to see him as an American hero - his accomplishments speak for themselves. And those speeches, even to this day - amaze me. His content, his metaphors even the flashbacks to historical references are so powerful. My favorite is the speech where he takes us on a mental flight from Mt. Olympus through history ... chills.
Which is why after reading "The Death of A King" by Tavis Smiley I was amazed how Dr. Kings life changed after the "I Have A Dream Speech." He was against the war in Vietnam, he spoke out against poverty in America and the nation turned against him. The New York Times, the Washington Post, Time Magazine and the White House all turned against him.
In the last year of his life popular black organization such as the NAACP and The Urban League saw King as irrelevant. Popular black leaders, Adam Clayton Powell, Ralph Bunche and others also denounced the impact of Dr. King. It seemed as is the world was against him ... but he stood in his truth. Today, all of those negatives are rarely discussed. If not for Tavis Smiley I would not have known of the struggle Dr. King faced.
When adversity hits and it surely will ... remember this story and stand strong in your truth.
