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MLK didn't ask to be the leader of the Civil Rights movement. It was a responsibility thrust upon him because he was so good at articulating grievances. It was like, he woke up one morning during the Montgomery bus boycott and all of sudden he was its leader! He did not have time to map out a precise strategy or a long range grand plan, he and his cobbleled-together posse just kinda made it up as they went along, with Mahatma Gandhi's nonviolent philosophy as their inspiration. The idea of making a lot of long-range, multi-faceted demands was out of the question at that time. The movement just focused mainly on equal opportunities, and King endeavored to appeal to the conscience of his oppressors. Integration was a counter to the separate but equal policy that was nothing more than subtle Jim Crowism. Integration represented fellowship and harmony where little black boys and girls would join hands with their white counterparts and partake of equality through tolerance. It was a dream; hence King's "I have a dream" speech. In hindsight, it's easy to criticize him for not embracing the militancy of those like Malcom X and the Black Panthers. But MLK was a man of his times and he was just beginning to re-think his goals when he was assassinated. Many think his taking a stance against the Vietnam war was a mistake but his doing so was in keeping with his pacifism. A cigarette-smoking, scotch- drinking, womanizing King was not perfect, but he fought the good fight, and paved the way for those who eventually came to criticize him for not having more foresight. I lived through King's era, and to me and my contemporaries, he was a real live hero who died a martyr.

If Halle Berry and Beyonce self identify as ,"black" because one of their parents is black, then that's good enough for me and millions of other people who accept their decision. They are women of color and the source of the color contained in their genes and DNA is a male negroid parent. ( just like Obama, our first black president. ) Nobody in America has been appointed as the arbitrator when it comes to declaring what constitutes blackness. Because there is no collective consciousness among negroid slave-descended Americans, there is no consensus on this issue and no individual can declare otherwise.

I have nothing but the deepest respect, admiration and appreciation for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Dr. MLK Jr.). I dare not criticize Dr. MLK Jr.s non-violent approach to the Civil Rights struggle. That was his chosen tactic. I'd imagine his religious beliefs played a part in it too. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at 39 years old accomplished more in his short lifetime than people who live twice as long. FBA/AfroAmericans and ALL Black people on the planet owe a huge debt of gratitude to him. Thanks for everything Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Hi all, As Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Black History Month approach, I wanted to share information about my novel Arc of the Universe by Nikki Alexander which recently released in June 2025. The novel takes its name from the quote by Dr. King: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." The novel is contemporary and literary fiction about race, DEI, and police brutality in the context of big tech. In Arc of the Universe, a Black law professor has the opportunity of a lifetime to design a system of government for an experimental space settlement by a private tech company. But when she is stopped by the police one night in a case of mistaken identity, the filmed encounter thrusts her into the national discourse on racial justice in the United States. She must regain faith in democracy and in political institutions to craft the "government of the future." Kirkus Reviews has deemed it an "engaging, well-written novel about a woman with her eyes on the stars and problems down on Earth." As a Black lawyer myself, I hope the novel inspires others to consider issues of race and social justice in the context of space and technology as well as the central theme that even small actions can help advance the cause. The novel is available from am*zon as well as Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org, and other major retailers. https://www.am*zon.com/Arc-Universe-Nikki-Alexander/dp/B0F8YS7VQG. Read reviews on Goodreads and StoryGraph. https://goodreads.com/book/show/231548320. Thank you for your support!