Dr. King was gangsta ya’ll. We sound byte him into “The Dream” speech. He is a t-shirt; he is the name of (failing) schools; he is our go-to symbol/icon when we are looking to push peace. But when you following his journey, the ideas that he professed where radical when it came to speaking up about the relationship between racial injustice and economic injustice.Dr. King knew “that the inseparable twin of racial injustice was economic injustice.”

I think that if he were around today  to see the actual economic prowess of the African-American community, he would counsel us to use our individual purchasing power  toward ensuring our collective advancement and equal economic footing in this country–creating our own jobs, income sources, and strategically boycotting institutions that fail to see our collective worth and humanity.

That’s just my two cents, but there are a lot of voices writing about King today in a full and comprehensive way which I think are worthwhile reads. They go beyond “The Dream.”to provide more knowledge, nuance, and insight into the work of Dr, King. 

The Death of a King: The Real Story of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Final Year: I read this book  with a friend and it OPENED my eyes. I had written Dr. King off as some pacifist. Boy, was I wrong. King spoke real talk– economic withdrawal, global liberation of ALL oppressed people, the construction of black banks, and all types of anti-government policies. This book also helped me see his humanity, his loneliness, and his insecurities. Very powerful read. I highly recommend it.

Four Ways Martin Luther King Was More Radical Than You Thought: http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2014/01/20/3177871/martin-luther-king-radicalism/

Four Ways Martin Luther King Wanted to Battle Inequality http://www.msnbc.com/all/mlks-fight-against-economic-inequality

Martin Luther King Jr.’s fight for economic equality continues: Cedric Richmond http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2014/01/martin_luther_king_jrs_fight_f.html

Frugal Feministas, if you learned something new and “gangsta” about Dr. King, please spread the love by sharing. Have a great day.

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