Martin Luther King Jr Dreamed of a Society Without Poverty. We Can Achieve It.
Martin Luther King Jr once said that there’s “nothing but a lack of social vision to prevent us from paying an adequate wage to every American citizen.” Decades after his assassination, we can realize his vision of an economically just society.
Dr Martin Luther King Jr in Montgomery, Alabama, May 1956. (Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images)
In our highly polarized political climate, Americans can agree on few things. One rare point of unity is the legacy of Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr, whom 90 percent of Americans view favorably — a considerably higher percentage than when he was alive.
Our nation’s collective memory of King is perhaps best summed up by the “fun facts” coloring page my son brought home from his first grade classroom in 2019. A cartoon depiction of King stands in the center of the page holding two flags, one reading “freedom” and the other reading “equality.” Surrounding him are four statements:
“I was a key leader in the American Civil Rights Movement.”
“I believed in, and fought for, equal rights for African Americans.”
“I helped end legal segregation and discrimination in the United States.”
“My famous speech, ‘I Have a Dream,’ promoted freedom and equality for all.”
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