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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a famous minister, scholar, and activist who is widely remembered as the leader of the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. While Dr. King is often viewed as an optimist who collaborated with the political establishment in the hopes of creating so-called “race-neutral” policies, Kendi argues that none of this is true, and that King’s legacy has been severely distorted over the years. In reality, Dr. King emphasized that the history of racism is inevitably tied to the growth and spread of capitalism (racial capitalism). Moreover, King did not fully support the integration programs often done in his name because they tend to reinforce the space racist hierarchy that treats white social and institutional spaces as inherently superior to Black ones. And finally and most importantly, although Dr. King is often fondly remembered for Gandhi-inspired nonviolence and a belief in the fundamental goodness of human nature, in reality, he fully recognized that racism was about white people’s self-interest and (like Gandhi) never believed that Black people would win civil rights in America simply because they changed people’s minds. Rather, he recognized that racism is fundamentally about power and viewed nonviolent resistance as the most effective way to put pressure on racist power.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes in How to Be an Antiracist
The How to Be an Antiracist quotes below are all either spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or refer to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 13: Space
Quotes
King’s nightmare is a product of the dueling Brown decision. The court rightly undermined the legitimacy of segregated White spaces that hoard public resources, exclude all non-Whites, and are wholly dominated by White peoples and cultures. But the court also reinforced the legitimacy of integrated White spaces that hoard public resources, include some non-Whites, and are generally, though not wholly, dominated by White peoples and cultures. White majorities, White power, and White culture dominate both the segregated and the integrated, making both White. But the unspoken veil claims there is no such thing as integrated White spaces, or for that matter integrated Black spaces that are underresourced, include some non-Blacks, and are generally, though not wholly, dominated by Black peoples and cultures. The court ruled Black spaces, segregated or integrated, inherently unequal and inferior.
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes in How to Be an Antiracist
The How to Be an Antiracist quotes below are all either spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or refer to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 13: Space
Quotes
King’s nightmare is a product of the dueling Brown decision. The court rightly undermined the legitimacy of segregated White spaces that hoard public resources, exclude all non-Whites, and are wholly dominated by White peoples and cultures. But the court also reinforced the legitimacy of integrated White spaces that hoard public resources, include some non-Whites, and are generally, though not wholly, dominated by White peoples and cultures. White majorities, White power, and White culture dominate both the segregated and the integrated, making both White. But the unspoken veil claims there is no such thing as integrated White spaces, or for that matter integrated Black spaces that are underresourced, include some non-Blacks, and are generally, though not wholly, dominated by Black peoples and cultures. The court ruled Black spaces, segregated or integrated, inherently unequal and inferior.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
