Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Era
The Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Era is a period marked with a national uprising by people of color in the USA against systemic racism and dehumanization by White America. This reality needs no reinforcement as a great number of book and big screen manuscript authors have engaged untold readership and viewership of the Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Era. For simplicity purposes, the term Civil Rights Era is used herein.
The 1960s Civil Rights Era captivated a global audience which ultimately lead to desegregation, the dismantling of “Separate but Equal,” the sun setting of “Whites Only – Water Fountains and Restrooms,” the much sought after integration of public schools, and at long last – civil rights legislation codified into USA federal law. This collective set of achievements were so monumental that the Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Era simply became known as the Civil Rights Era given its hallmark achievements eclipsing prior civil rights movements in the United States.
Undoubtedly, the Civil Rights Era paved the way for the wide open swung doors of the 2026 Gen Z era. Ironically, the Gen Z era has little to appreciation for the Civil Rights Era, perhaps under the misplaced belief that they themselves are responsible for the Gen Z era of unprecedented privilege, and mufti-facet opportunity.
Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Speech
The Martin Luther King Jr. Speech (“Dream Speech”) is globally recognized as the racial equality embodiment of societies from one end of the earth to the other. Moreover, the Dream Speech contributed to Martin Luther King Jr being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
Quote:
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal"" Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream Speech.
This quote, alone, is perhaps responsible for the universal interpretation that “All men are equal.” There is a caveat: The Dream Speech states, “All men are created equal.” This is a marked and profound distinction. To proclaim man as being equal in creation by its creator, God, (given Martin Luther King Jr. was not simply a civil rights advocate; but, also, a reverend and leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference) is one distinctly different from the assertion that all men are equal. Here are a few examples to illustrate.
First Example of Equality
Humans are born in this world the same: via their mother’s womb, crying, attached to an umbilical court, completely dependent, and entirely ignorant as to the new world in which they are born. These characteristics indeed illustrate that all men enter the world as equals. Based upon man’s uniform birth traits, what lead man pursue inequality throughout his growth in life into adulthood? Perhaps this enigma is worthy of cognitive consumption today. Perhaps the answer lies within the fiber of man himself.
Second Example of Equality
For the purposes of this example, assuming money is not a barrier, to ten thousand people in a small city all pursuing collegiate education, how is it that any empirical evidence would show a data spread of GPA scores? Completion of the chosen major course of study? And most important, how is it explained that few would reach achievement recognized as elite, while the median achievement would range from active gainful economic participation to small business ownership? Could it be that that the answer itself lies in the concept of Equality itself? In particular, the realization that equality in birth does not translate into equality in life achievement: nor should it. Life achievement is personal not a product of societal normalized status motivated by politics.
Martin Luther King Jr Targeted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation under Director J. Edgar Hoover did not favor Martin Luther King Jr., and set out on a campaign to bring him down in the most undignified way possible such as to destroy the foundation of his leadership and cast doubt on the civil rights movement as a whole. In fact, Director Hoover order FBI agents to spy on Martin Luther King Jr. and to secretly record him. This spying led to attempts to target Martin Luther King Jr. with a blackmail campaign per hate motivated FBI spying and subsequent allegations of one or more extra marital affairs. And in 1964, the FBI sent Martin Luther King Jr. and “anonymous” letter designed to induce suicide.
Racism Ended Martin Luther King Jr.’s Life
It is common knowledge that Martin Luther King Jr. was struck in the temple via the bullet of his assassin James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. Perhaps what is not as widely known is that bullet that struck Martin Luther King Jr. which certainly precipitated his death, [] bullet did not actually kill Martin Luther King Jr. The final death blow to Martin Luther King Jr. was at the hands of white supremacist doctors who were allegedly quoted as making statements: “I’m not going to save that nigger,” “Let that nigger die.” Moreover, these same doctors allegedly decided to suffocate Martin Luther King Jr., which is what lead to the final breaths of Martin Luther King Jr.
It is this type of deep rooted white supremacy indoctrination erected in the most critical components of society from law enforcement to health care which, still today in 2026, seeks to oppress individuals based upon race or ethnic group membership. And what was Martin Luther King Jr.’s crime? Pursuing a floor standard of human rights for not only people of color but all people especially the marginalized and those politically targeted because of race or ethnicity. This is particularly important as the Civil Rights Era can be said as the basis of the 2026 social era positing that all men are entitled to equality in life outcome or better put a recognized universal standard of lifestyle irrespective of one’s personal capabilities and abilities.
Is the Martin Luther King Jr. Era of Racism Still Relevant in 2026?
Yes, indeed the Martin Luther King Jr. era, in particular of the 1960s, is still relevant in this modern society of 2026. Why? Simply put: racism has not ceased to exist; but, rather has morphed various alto egos. These alter egos are particularly relevant as the true power and control sought by white supremacy is via the apparatus of government: municipality, local, state, and federal throughout the Americas. Even more to the point, law enforcement is the second most dominated pillar of white supremacists. The first being none other than the political bodies which erect and commission law enforcement agencies. The systemic racism, abuse of power, harassment, even legalized homicide of law enforcement should be evident given the political persecution of Martin Luther King Jr.’s by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Since man’s existence on earth, he has formulated a recognizable pattern and practice of aligning with persons with who man identifies as of the same race and/or ethnic group as himself. The origin of this race and/or ethic alignment was rooted in fear. And in 2026, this same race and/or ethnic group alignment is, likewise, still rooted in fear. Fear of extinction. Fear of the scarcity. Fear of communism. Fear of normalizing elitism. Fear of diminished wealth. And perhaps the greatest fear, at least psychologically speaking, is the fear of a mediocrity standing in society.
Summary
In short, mankind’s irrational fears with respect to Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream illustrates the central underlying issue in the fiber of man’s being: Ego. People have the very common tendency to think far too highly of themselves and far too inferior of others. And it is this societal normalized cognitive behavior which is the driving force for racism, whether racism manifested in the traditional form of white supremacy or more commonly in 2026 via reverse racism whereas minority groups encourage, promote, and erect reverse racism barrier against other groups e.g. color-ism, ethnic group status, or simply based upon distinction as majority race group membership. All of these systemic racism issues are despite 2026 being the most diversified period of mankind’s existence. And it is this paradox with diversity and racism which raises a fundamental question: What is the better harmonious position for society in general: Segregation or Integration?