Was Dr. Martin Luther King a Social Justice Warrior? Maybe, but You Can’t Conclude that from Listening to his “I have a Dream” Speech

Here are a series of clips from Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech, which Rev. King delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC on August 28, 1963. It is very revealing that Dr. King did a significant number of things in his speech social justice crusaders never would do today. While Dr. King’s ties with Marxists have been documented, his “I Have a Dream” speech still stands in marked contrast to the overtly anti-American and openly divisive rhetoric of today’s social justice warriors. Note these observations about Dr. King’s speech.

1. 1. He upheld the founding ideals of the United States of America; and in doing so, challenged modern Americans to live up to those ideals. He also said his dream was “deeply rooted in the American dream.”
  2. Dr. King condemned violence, a trait all too evident in so-called (and inaccurately described) “peaceful protests” of Black Lives Matter and other organizations promoting social justice.
  3. Dr. King spoke well of the civil rights movement’s white allies; he never assumed that all whites were racists.
  4. Dr. King spoke of his desire that unity and fellowship would be displayed and enjoyed between people of all races and creeds.
  5. Dr. King’s dream included his desire that “my four little children would one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” We should “[n]ote that Dr. King did not ask that he or his children not be judged at all. Instead, he invited Americans to judge his children ‘by the content of their character.’ Even more important than Dr. King’s words, of course, is the fact that the Bible condemns racism.”
  6. Speaking of the Bible, Dr. King quoted generously from its words and underscored numerous biblical themes.
  7. In his speech, Dr. King upheld the Christian faith as a source of hope.