Clayborne Carson relased the following statement on October 27, 1996:
“Nevertheless, if others wish to speculate about King, as a historian, I am compelled to object when the abundant documentary evidence regarding his life is ignored or misused. And King’s own words and writings clearly indicate he was open to governmental programs that compensated for past wrongs. Certainly, the use of King’s oration at the 1963 March on Washington to attack affirmative action betrays a lack of historical understanding. King’s dream of a nation in which every American would be judged not “by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” was surely his ideal as well as the guiding principle of the civil rights movement. But the complete text of King’s speech makes clear that his dream was of a future that did not yet exist. He spoke of his dream only as an extemporaneous addition to his prepared text, which charged that America had “defaulted” on its promise to ensure “the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for all citizens. He warned racial justice would be achieved only when the “whirlwinds of revolt’ shook “the foundations of our nation.”
In fact, realization of King’s “beloved community” would require a radical transformation of American society, and he argued for governmental policies that would compensate for the historical wrongs committed against African-Americans. Although the term “affirmative action” was not widely used during King’s lifetime, he advocated special programs that would enable African-Americans to enjoy equal opportunity.”
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/additional_resources/articles/mercury.htm
Please click on the link and read the whole thing. It is time we faced some unpleasant facts concerning Martin Luther King, Jr.
