Toward the end of MLK’s life, he made the transition from fighting for pure civil rights to incorporating an economic justice strategy. Living on the streets of Chicago in 1966, King saw firsthand the evils of poverty and capitalism on urban Black communities and made it his mission to fight for them.
But not everyone was on board with the new King.
Americans were used to associating King with the civil rights fight. People, Black and white, felt that King focusing his resources on economics and war would distract or even undo the progress he made on civil rights. Many abandoned King, yet he pressed on.
King described himself as a “profound advocate of the social gospel.” He stood against the United State’s capitalist system that places profit and property rights over human rights. King not only wanted a world where we had civil and political rights, but also housing, food, and good incomes.
Dr. King believed in the power of community. He believed we could build a world “where all our gifts and resources are held not for ourselves alone but as instruments of service for the rest of humanity.”
Dr. Martin Luther King may have been known for his civil rights fight but his work on progressing our economic freedoms often goes unnoticed. His impact, however, will be felt forever.