King’s Words and Racial Equality
Re “The Tragic Abuse of King’s Famous 34 Words,” Opinion, Jan. 16: Michael Eric Dyson’s argument against employing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of equality in his “I Have a Dream” speech for the dismantling of affirmative action by conservatives would have been better served by merely citing other of King’s writings that supported affirmative action in the interests of realizing racial equality.
This he does at the end of his article, but only after he has offered the dubious argument that “universality” was chiefly an ideological concept used by black civil rights advocates to advance black interests. This undermines King’s moral authority and ignores his genuine religious faith in God as a cornerstone of political freedom, equality and reconciliation.
JACK PRICE
Arcadia
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Dyson writes that King’s speech is misused by conservatives to oppose affirmative action and other race-based programs. If King did not mean that American society should become colorblind, he should have, and we should not be celebrating his birthday. It is because most Americans share this “misinterpretation” of King’s remarks, and only because of them, that he is held as a national hero.
CARL HOKANSON
Los Angeles
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I was greatly impressed by Earl Ofari Hutchinson’s roll-out of the benefits and changes that have come to African Americans in the recent past (Commentary, Jan. 17). Particularly impressive were the drops in poverty rates, the high school and college progress, etc. Most impressive was, “The number of African American-owned businesses leaped nearly 50%, and their gross receipts rose 63% between 1987-1992.” Uh, wasn’t that during the Reagan-Bush years? King did inspire these points of progress. Don’t forget who brought them home.
KENNETH K. EBMEIER
Upland
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Re “Angelenos Get Together to Talk Over Differences,” Jan. 17: Why not get together and talk about our similarities? I have never felt so cut off from other ethnic groups as I have since our “differences” have been emphasized so vociferously.
All races seem to have forgotten we all bleed when cut, are hurt when insulted or neglected, blush when embarrassed, or feel pride when recognized for something positive. The goal of different nationalities no longer seems to be for all to be integrated, included and accepted. It seems the goal is now to be the ethnic group on the top of the heap when the fighting is over. Pretty discouraging stuff.
MARILYN DALRYMPLE
Lancaster