Notice All The MLK Quotes Republicans Will Ignore Today

By Susie Madrak — January 16, 2023

Today, churches, the schools, and community groups are quoting Martin Luther King Jr., the statements that urge us on to make systemic change.

Republicans prefer that idealistic, trusting MLK they've created in their heads by cherry-picking his words and turning them into harmless platitudes. They just like that one "content of their character" quote. You will see and hear it many, many places today.

But King really was the radical they painted him then, and he did call for the radical change we still need.

#NeverForget They didn’t love Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. until after they killed him, omitted 3/4ths of what he actually believed and stood for and turned him into the white washed symbol they created #MLK #MLKDay pic.twitter.com/Gh8cvwbYF1

— Etan Thomas (@etanthomas36) January 15, 2023

As we brace for the annual Celebration of the One and Only Sentence MLK Ever Said, I’m going to repost this ⁦@MSNBCDaily⁩ piece from 2021: https://t.co/UT7BAD4FEd

— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) January 15, 2023

"On this MLK Day, let's be honest with ourselves and with his legacy: let's remember Dr King as the man, as the proud radical and socialist, he actually was - not as the man we conveniently want him or imagine him to be."

My @MSNBC commentary tonight:pic.twitter.com/8C2SQVwZaH

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) January 16, 2023

"Whenever the government provides opportunities and privileges for white people and rich people, they call it 'subsidies.' When they do it for Negro and poor people they call it 'welfare'...socialism for the rich and rugged free enterprise capitalism for the poor." — Dr. MLK, Jr. pic.twitter.com/M0cyYaCKzr

— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) January 15, 2023

There will be many quotes thrown around in honor of MLK Day today and tomorrow. But, we should be mindful of what King said in 1967 here in Atlanta: economic justice and racial justice cannot be disaggregated. The failure of Reconstruction policy caused multi-generational harms. pic.twitter.com/uRg6fyXWA5

— Anthony Michael Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) January 15, 2023

“We’ve all had voices that we’ve carried with us as we grew. I remember the voice of Martin Luther King, Jr. warning against judging success by the value of our salaries or the size of our automobiles rather than by the quality of our relationships to humanity.”#MLK

— MisterRogersQuotes (@MisterRogersSay) January 16, 2023

I feel like this was MLK’s best speech. Chills. pic.twitter.com/ZFD4wyY3dk

— Isaiah Martin (@isaiahrmartin) January 15, 2023

MLK's Letter From Birmingham Jail now posted, unabridged, in a neat, easy-to-remember URL: https://t.co/LM46JbhV6a

— Sheila the Wonderbink (@wonderbink) January 16, 2023

Yes, I get the irony of white-bread James Taylor writing this tribute. But it's still a great song.

Explore more

Discussion

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.