Arthur L. Browning: What is the real legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?

  I have been hearing news coverage of the recent discussion in social and political circles about the real legacy of Martin Luther King. This began even before the MLK holiday.

  Whatever the reason for these many allusions to Martin Luther King's importance to America or effects on American Civil Rights, I heard the discussions sadly lacking the elemental importance of MLK's work.

  Martin Luther King was absolutely feared by many whites as a trouble maker. I am white and I can tell you at the time many Americans did not know about or understand the Civil Rights movement. Most Americans did not understand Viet Nam or racial inequality either. Most Americans just heard bits and pieces in the news and then rumors passed from acquaintance to acquaintance.