Photos: Segregation in America

While I agree that Dr. King was not popular amongst radical civil rights activists (i.e. Black Panthers, Nation of Islam etc.) it is ridiculous to postulate that he was assassinated by dissatisfied blacks. The fact is, Dr. King did more for the concept of peaceful revolution, poverty rights and racial equality on a global scale than anyone else in his generation - this was a fact amoung blacks and all minorities in the Civil Rights Movement.

Presently, he is the subject of an oversimplified and exploited image of unity and peaceful change. One has to wonder, have we lost sight of his dream because it has been accomplished, or have we lost sight because of our complacency with the status quo?
'fetus1961' stated that "quotas and favoritism were never what he had in mind," clearly a reference to affirmative action and other programs aimed at balancing the playing field, as it were. I think it is important to realize that we, as a nation, are clearly not at the point of full equality yet, and as a result we still need to make proactive moves towards equality. Though these days the conflated issues of race and class seem inextricably intertwined, they still inform one another and represent those who systematically lose out because of institutionalized racism and class politics. The slide show above has a clear example of this: more than 10% of black men between 25 and 29 are currently in prison. That figure is startling and is indicative of something that is still very wrong with our country. The means may have changed, but the ends are still the same- an oppressed population, treated unfairly by justice institutions, unable to have access to the tools and services that would end a cycle of poverty induced incarceration and exclusion.
Dr. King had a dream, and while we have made strides towards that dream, we are still a long way from its ultimate realization. Until then, I think we do a great disservice to the memory of Dr. King by failing to both acknowledge the complexity of his dream and juxtapose society today with one that represents the ideals put forward by Dr. King.

Hmm, I find it kind of odd that almost everyone in the pictures who were participating in the Civil Rights Movement were either Black or White. Where was everyone else? There weren't just Blacks or Whites in America at that time.

Hmm, I find it kind of odd that almost everyone in the pictures who were participating in the Civil Rights Movement were either Black or White. Where was everyone else? There weren't just Blacks or Whites in America at that time.