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Would Martin Luther King Jr. have voted for Trump? We’ll never know. And yet, today marks an unlikely pairing: Trump’s inauguration falls on the day America celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr.

As Trump recites the oath of office, he promises to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” The question is, how will he do it? Moreover, how will he restore liberty and equality for all Americans?

For starters, he should take notes from the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s work for how civil rights transformed the course of American history. In his well-known “I Have a Dream” speech, he said:

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Sadly, today’s divisive DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) practices do exactly the opposite. But Trump has a chance to end these policies once and for all, returning America to the individualistic tradition that once dominated the civil rights movement. Research Fellow Jonathan J. Bean writes about this today for the Washington Examiner ([link removed]) :

“Donald Trump is no King-like figure. His divisive rhetoric and stereotyping of immigrants are out of touch with King’s approach. But DEI has been equally divisive, and it permeates society. Ending it will open the door for others to practice what King preached … [helping] us reimagine what civil rights means—with history as our guide.”
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In the spirit of revisiting Dr. King’s teachings and reimagining civil rights, we invite you to explore the following resources. Additionally, our recent work —Race & Liberty in America (Updated Edition): The Essential Reader ([link removed]) , edited by Jonathan J. Bean, and the Comparative Cultures Ethnic Studies Curriculum ([link removed]) — emphasize our commitment to defending civil liberties: the belief that every individual, regardless of color, heritage, or creed, is free to pursue prosperity, community, and happiness.


** Recommended Reading
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** What Was Essence of King’s ‘Dream’? ([link removed])
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** By Jonathan J. Bean
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Dream” speech offered something for everyone: defenders of individual rights and the racially aggrieved alike. That is why his words entered the American canon of speech and why Americans today continue to celebrate them.


** MLK’s Philosophy was Rooted in the Natural Law Tradition ([link removed])
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** Popular culture often overlooks that MLK's ideas and rhetoric were steeped in the Western tradition
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** By Michael de Sapio
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On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we would do well to reflect not just on the life of the civil rights icon, but on the ideas that shaped and inspired him.


** How the Left Hijacked Civil Rights ([link removed])
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** By Robert L. Woodson, Sr., and Joshua Mitchell
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King’s words and actions glorified America by transfiguring its racial wound and revealing its redemptive promise. Yet today many black leaders have lost sight of King altogether.


** Why MLK’s “I Have a Dream” Speech Is Still Relevant ([link removed])
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** 3 Reasons why we must put the “civil” back into civil discourse, Democrat or Republican
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** By Luka Ladan
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Every contribution to the cause of civility matters and we can all do our part to see the King legacy live on.

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