Today marks the 57th anniversary when Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister, radical visionary and anti-imperialist was assassinated on 4th April 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
King’s decision to go to Memphis reflected his evolving consciousness regarding the true nature of imperialism. King drew unquestionable links between imperialism abroad and in U.S. ghettos. In his poignant ‘Beyond Vietnam’ address, delivered at Riverside Church in New York City just a year before he was fatally gunned down, King took the bold step of criticising what he termed the ‘giant triplets’ of American society: Militarism, materialism, and racism. He called for a ‘radical revolution of values’ prioritising human dignity over profit.
However, mainstream media minimises his legacy to a feel-good quote and a safe soundbite from the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. They rarely speak of the King who challenged capitalism, exposed the hypocrisy of U.S. foreign policy and demanded a restructuring of the global order.
As he grew in political awareness, King began to address economic issues, championing a more equitable distribution of wealth and resources. He recognised that poverty and unemployment were not personal failures but historically systemic injustices that demanded actions, not mere rhetoric.
Throughout his speeches, King challenged the ‘bootstrap mentality’, which suggests that anyone can succeed in the US through hard work and determination. He also argued that the US ruling class, through capitalism and imperialism, profited from the hard work of others, whether it be Vietnamese in the Global South or Black people in America. Ultimately, he became an existential threat to the U.S. establishment – not because he dreamed, but because he refused to stay silent about the U.S.’ crimes
Would Dr. King stay silent while while Western corporations continue to plunder Africa, hiding behind trade deals, IMF conditions and military aid?
