Left-Wing Activists Criticized For Misinterpreting Teachings
Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Washington, D.C. – In observance of the upcoming holiday devoted to the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., members of the Project 21 black leadership network are available for interviews regarding Dr. King, how his teachings have shaped the nation and how people have acted – positively and negatively – in his name.

“Dr. King’s embodiment of bravery, courage and unity remains a call to action in our neighborhoods and communities. We must continue to reference his life as a catalyst for racial harmony and justice,” Project 21 member Demetrius Minor said. “We’ve come a long way since Dr. King imparted his dream to the world, and it is still incumbent upon us to continue making that dream a reality.”

Project 21 members criticized leftists who have misinterpreted or co-opted Dr. King’s inclusive and colorblind ideas to advance their political agenda.

“Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s powerful messages continue to offer us deep insights and wisdom about the ideals we should strive for as we grapple with complex issues like race and social class,” said Project 21 member Dr. Carol Swain. “While speaking at Southern Methodist University on March 17, 1966, Dr. King rejected communism’s end-justifies-the-means approach for addressing inequalities. ‘Destructive means,’ King said, ‘cannot bring about constructive ends.’ If only we would apply Dr. King’s wisdom to current day problems.”

“As we reflect on the work of Dr. King, we cannot ignore the ‘I have a dream’ portion of his famous March on Washington speech. Sadly, the Colin Kaepernicks and Black Lives Matter organizations of this world have ignored it as they invoke Dr. King’s words to promote racial division – as if we have yet to move on from the segregation of the day,” added Project 21 member Melanie Collette. “Dr. King’s message was that of unity, not to separate ourselves from each other. In the same speech, Dr. King encouraged us not to allow our fight to ‘lead us to distrust all white people.’ Instead, he wanted us to understand that our white brothers ‘realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny… their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.’"