What do historians think about MLK?

Historians, theorists and African American Studies scholars who remind us to be skeptical of the comfortable, sanitized versions of Martin Luther King Jr. often point to Dr. King’s opposition to the Vietnam War or to his late-in-life anti-poverty crusade as evidence of his radicalism.

Is MLK a historian?

King, so we’ve called upon Lonnie Bunch. He’s a historian and the founding director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture, which will open its doors here in Washington, D.C. in 2015.

What were the views of Martin Luther King?

was a social activist and Baptist minister who played a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. King sought equality and human rights for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged and all victims of injustice through peaceful protest.

What is the historical importance of Martin Luther King?

Martin Luther King, Jr., is known for his contributions to the American civil rights movement in the 1960s. His most famous work is his “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered in 1963, in which he spoke of his dream of a United States that is void of segregation and racism.

Why are historians so concerned about Martin Luther King?

Another issue is how we understand and conceptualize history. In many respects, Garrow is of an earlier generation of historians who viewed history as a narrative march of “great men”. This interpretation of history is Janus-faced, however, because what can be constructed as great can just as easily be torn down.

Who is a scholar of Martin Luther King Jr?

Stanford historian and Martin Luther King Jr. scholar Clayborne Carson offers a personal perspective on King’s legacy. In his new memoir, Martin’s Dream, Stanford historian Clayborne Carson recounts his personal journey from a young civil rights activist to preeminent Martin Luther King Jr. scholar.

Are there any historians who criticize Martin Luther?

There are a few issues, of course, for which historians criticize King. Here are three of the more famous. (Admittedly, the first two are relatively trivial.) King had a tendency to borrow a bit too freely from other writers, without giving what most would consider sufficient credit.

What did David Garrow say about Martin Luther King?

T he Troubling Legacy of Martin Luther King, a controversial essay recently published by the American historian David Garrow in a conservative British magazine, has met with ambivalence in the American press and sparked fierce debate among historians.