Martin Luther King Jr
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On Wednesday (June 4), a federal judge in Washington D.C. signaled that he was open to releasing sensitive documents related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ahead of the scheduled date. President Donald Trump had signed an executive order calling for the release of the files in January, in addition to files related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert Kennedy.U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon stated that he intended to proceed slowly in the matter, prioritizing privacy. “This is delicate stuff,” Judge Leon said. “This is not stuff you use a chainsaw on. You use a scalpel or a laser.” The judge stated that he would direct the National Archives to allow him – and him alone – to see the inventory of all of the files related to Dr. King that they have It’s believed that there are over 60,000 unredacted pages of documents related to the assassination. Johnny Walker, a lawyer representing the Department of Justice, requested that Judge Leon grant their agents authorization to look through the files first to create a subset of papers the court and the family of Dr. King could approve for release. He stated that they would steer clear of anything damaging in the files. Sumayaa Saleh, a lawyer representing the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, objected citing the Trump Administration’s sloppy handling of the release of files related to President Kennedy. “The government has yet to come forward with any persuasive, compelling, legitimate reason to unseal the files,” she added.The hearing was called in response to a lawsuit by the SCLC (which Dr. King helped found) and the King family, who have expressed wariness over the release of the files. “Some, perhaps many, of the recordings may be fake. The FBI’s purpose in creating the documents the government seeks to unseal was to misinform the public and irreparably damage our father’s reputation and most importantly destroy the civil rights movement,” wrote Martin Luther King III in a statement.A federal judge in 1977 had ordered the files to be sealed from the public until 2027. Judge Leon conceded that the hearing is part of “the first few steps in a journey” and that the matter could take up to 2027. But he did ask that both parties keep communicating and if they came to an agreement, he could nudge things along. “We’re going to go slowly,” Leon said. “Little steps.”
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UPDATE: Sexyy Red has deleted the AI-generated photo of her and Martin Luther King Jr. holding hands following his daughter Bernice King’s request to do so. Bernice King, lawyer, global thought leader, activist and daughter of late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., spoke out against Sexyy Red after the rapper posted a fake […]
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Martin Luther King Jr. is, with little doubt, one of the more notable figures in the annals of Black history, and his sacrifice for the greater good of all maintains its resonance in modern times. In the wake of the transition of power within the White House on January 20, Hip-Hop Wired is electing to honor Martin Luther King Jr. instead and will share ways to uphold the great leader’s lasting legacy.
Hip-Hop Wired and the entire Urban One family for years have highlighted the incredible accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr., and the sting of his light being snuffed out in 1968 nearly upended the Civil Rights Movement as over 100 cities rioted after his assassination in Memphis, Tenn. At just 39 years of age at the time, King was close to achieving the impossible feat of unifying the country and wisely highlighted the true divide in America of race and class. And in the decades since King’s passing, Black people in America achieved incredible feats in the face of insurmountable odds only to conquer those barricades admirably.
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Check out a portion NewsOne’s profile and recognition of Martin Luther King Jr,’s 96th birthday below:
In 1957, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was formed following the efforts and response to the “Montgomery Bus Boycott” in 1955. Rosa Parks jump-started the Civil Rights Movement that same year, after refusing to give up her seat to a White person. Dr. King and several other leaders joined the boycott, creating the SCLC.
With the help of the Quakers, Dr. King traveled to India in 1959 to visit with Gandhi. The trip was the necessary push needed to galvanize Dr. King’s desire to employ a similar approach with non-violent disobedience protests Stateside. SCLC activist Bayard Rustin, also a student of Gandhi’s teaching, served as King’s right hand in planning the 1963 “March On Washington” and was a trusted ally.
Releasing just a handful of books during his lifetime, Dr. King’s written work contained nearly the entire scope of his personal and academic pursuits. “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story” was released in 1958. His last work, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos Or Community,” saw a 1967 release.
Please read the entire profile here.
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One of the most viable ways one can engage the world using the philosophies of King comes by way of The King Center, helmed by Dr. Bernice A. King, the leader’s youngest child. Dr. King has enacted the training and education module Nonviolence365™️, which aids in the practice of nonviolent social activism. We could not think of another way to honor Martin Luther King Jr. other than pointing directly to all of the amazing efforts and activations sparked by The King Center.
Learn more by visiting The King Center website and check out the variety of resources there.
Adding to this, MLK Day is largely seen as a day of service. In that regard, search your local community organizations and volunteer to be in service of your neighbors, including the disabled and elderly. This can also include working in soup kitchens, homeless shelters, or your local houses of worship. A gripping cold has taken over much of the country and several groups could use all hands on deck to bring warmth and comfort to the less fortunate.
On X, Martin Luther King Jr. is trending and we’ve gathered some replies to share with our readers below.
An urgent need… #MLK #MLKDay #KingHoliday pic.twitter.com/aP41uBs5ol
— The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center (@TheKingCenter) January 19, 2025
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