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MLK's Legacy to a White Conservative
What MLK’s Dream means to me…
All too often Dr. King’s legacy is viewed as attached exclusively to the African American Civil Rights movement. As a conservative white male I have found it difficult to claim any part of MLK’s struggle and victory as personal without suffering rebuke from the African American community. It seems that MLK’s legacy is claimed by the African American community as being wholly owned by African Americans alone and non-African Americans are not invited to share in this struggle or victory unless is in the sole reference to support an/the African American agenda.
So, I would like to say this. MLK’s leadership and victory was a hallmark of liberty for our nation. MLK changed a culture and shifted a paradigm toward the good of man and toward the realization of the promise of our founding law, our Constitution. It is for this reason that I consider Dr. King a hero. Freedom is born to all men as individuals, separate from our origins, our lineage, or some over-arching culture.
If America is to live up to our intended culture of individual liberty, we must always endeavor to embrace the heroes that champion freedom and liberty.
I would ask my fellow Americans that happen to be of African lineage to allow the rest of us, including we white conservatives, to claim MLK as our hero too. For MLK and all the brave people that persevered through the struggles to gain equality for African Americans contributed to the freedom and liberty of our families as well. It strengthened our society and brought us one step closer to the realization of the dream of individual liberty and our nation living up to our promise and our Constitutional law.
All too often Dr. King’s legacy is viewed as attached exclusively to the African American Civil Rights movement. As a conservative white male I have found it difficult to claim any part of MLK’s struggle and victory as personal without suffering rebuke from the African American community. It seems that MLK’s legacy is claimed by the African American community as being wholly owned by African Americans alone and non-African Americans are not invited to share in this struggle or victory unless is in the sole reference to support an/the African American agenda.
So, I would like to say this. MLK’s leadership and victory was a hallmark of liberty for our nation. MLK changed a culture and shifted a paradigm toward the good of man and toward the realization of the promise of our founding law, our Constitution. It is for this reason that I consider Dr. King a hero. Freedom is born to all men as individuals, separate from our origins, our lineage, or some over-arching culture.
If America is to live up to our intended culture of individual liberty, we must always endeavor to embrace the heroes that champion freedom and liberty.
I would ask my fellow Americans that happen to be of African lineage to allow the rest of us, including we white conservatives, to claim MLK as our hero too. For MLK and all the brave people that persevered through the struggles to gain equality for African Americans contributed to the freedom and liberty of our families as well. It strengthened our society and brought us one step closer to the realization of the dream of individual liberty and our nation living up to our promise and our Constitutional law.
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