Why was Dr. Martin Luther King assassinated?
Martin Luther King Day is a time to reflect on the message of a man who aligned himself against injustice. He gave his life and his voice to supporting poor people who had no voice. When the war broke out in Vietnam and it became clear that large U.S. corporations were profiting from the war’s continuation at the price of civilian lives in the region, Dr. King opposed the war. After being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, his voice had a unifying power unlike any other. He intended to use that voice to bring together poor Americans of all color in a poor people's march on Washington D.C. (Can you imagine anyone capable of congregating such a coalition today?) Imagine half a million poor people marching at the nation’s capital to make congress hear them. Imagine if those half a million people didn’t leave at the time when their permit demanded them to leave. That they would only leave if congress actually listened to their demands shifting power away from corporate lobbyists and their financial interests that dictate American politics still today.
It seems that a number of interests feared the power of Martin Luther King Jr. to unify the poor and this was a major reason why the details around his death were covered up or not thoroughly investigated. Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated not by James Earl Ray, but by an unidentified gunman. There was a conspiracy by multiple branches of the government that made this assassination possible. How do I know this? I read the transcript of the 1999 trial of Loyd Jowers in which the jury found him guilty of conspiracy in Dr. King's death. If you want the details read the closing arguments.
To pay respects to Dr. Martin Luther King is to understand for what reason he was willing to give his life -- his defiance against a status quo in which poor people were denied the ability to reach their human potential due to systemic inequality. Systemic inequality still exists today and so it is important to continue Dr. King’s vision. I’m trying my best to follow his example by being an educator and an advocate for my socio-economically diverse students.
Here are some voices that I think echo Dr. King’s aspirations: Dr. Cornel West, Sen. Bernie Sanders, State Sen. Nina Turner and Rapper Killer Mike.
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