Martin Luther King III on Trump’s inauguration, MLK Day, and the necessity for a return of civility
Solely as soon as earlier than because it turned a federal vacation has Martin Luther King Jr. Day fallen on the identical day as a presidential inauguration. That was in 1997, when Invoice Clinton took the oath of workplace for his second time period because the forty second president of america.
Martin Luther King III, the late civil rights chief’s son and a longtime activist himself, spoke with CBS Information the morning of President-elect Donald Trump’s second inauguration, relating how the nation continues to maneuver ahead regardless of political disagreements.
“We have elected President Trump once more, and the query is how can we navigate in civility, as a result of traditionally there hasn’t been civility,” he stated. “Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King went in opposition to what society trying to do initially and helped create the local weather so we may transfer ahead in a constructive means.”
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Like when his father was alive, King stated there must be continued dialogue amongst People concerning the path the nation’s future ought to take.
“A path that’s within the curiosity of all People and never one specific group,” he stated. “I simply suppose civility has been quickly misplaced and I wish to see civility to be introduced again to the political discourse.”
King stated the wealth inequality his father was combating in opposition to earlier than he was assassinated in 1968 remains to be a battle in America at the moment.
“Progress has been made, however how can we enhance that? How can we deal with the problems of financial inequality?” he requested, noting that his father was advocating for a “radical distribution of wealth.”
“Sadly, that’s nonetheless wanted at the moment — a redistribution of some wealth, as a result of there’s such an enormous disparity,” he stated. “We have got to alter the local weather.”
