The Martin Luther King, Jr., Plagiarism Story

Upstream ^ | Jan-Feb 1996 | Barry Gross

[traditionalist]

I know this article is old, but it still amazes me how few people know about King's plagiarism, and how many people still give him the tittle "Dr." There have been exposes published about the unpleseant truths about the lives of men like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. Why has the mainstream media gone to such lengths to hide the truth about King?

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[Cincinatus]

"I don't see anything wrong with this behavior!" -- Sen. Joe "Kinnock" Biden

[DWPittelli]

The fact that King is dead, and in fact a martyr to his cause, better explains than mere race why his plagiarism and adulteries receive so little attention. After all, the Civil Rights movement was the last great and positive action of the Left in this country, and the last that is now supported even by most people on the Right. So no one wants to sully its most famous, and martyred leader. If King were still alive, he might get press no better than Jesse Jackson. Jackson may be held to a lower standard than would any White (or at least, Conservative) minister or politician, but most people who follow the news know of his adultery and racial shake-downs.

[Servant of the Nine]

This has been common knowledge for many years, nevertheless is is real classy of you to bring it up on ML King day.
Right up there with articles about JFKs womanizing published on Nov. 23.

King had a lot of faults, most great men do. I did not like him or his tactics, but posting this today is really offensive.

Next year, how bout saving it for Trent Lott's Birthday?

So9

[traditionalist]

After all, the Civil Rights movement was the last great and positive action of the Left in this country

NO IT WAS NOT.

This is the big lie the media has gotten everyone to believe. The American right is just as responsible for the civil rights movement as is the left. The civil rights act of 1957 was signed into law by a REPUBLICAN and supported by an overwhelming majority of Republicans in Congress. It was a Republican president who first ordered Federal troops to integrate schools in the South. A greater proportion of Republicans (over 70%) than Democrats voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In fact the biggest opponents to both Acts were Southern Democrats. Granted, most of these guys, like Strom Thurmond, later became Republicans, but only after they repudiated their segregationist views and became champions of civil rights.

The "I have a Dream" speach was actually first given by a black preacher during a Republican National Convention a decade before King gave it.

[xrp]

Spare us the offensive crap-o-la.

[Centurion2000]

King had a lot of faults, most great men do. I did not like him or his tactics, but posting this today is really offensive.

Offensive to whom ? And by the way since when was a "Christian" minister supposed to have dozens of affairs, visit prostitutes and rip off his dissertation??

MLK was Jesse Jackson of the 60's.

[traditionalist]

Yes, he was such a great man. His knowing association with and cooperation with communists and other enemies of his country is what made him great. Treason is such a virtue.

[Right Wing Professor]

posting this today is really offensive

The truth, IMHO, is never offensive, and when one is offended by the truth, one should take a look in the mirror and ask why.

[nepdap]

They say that King took only 45 percent of the first half of his thesis and only 21 percent of the second from Boozer. Therefore, the thesis remains an intelligent contribution to scholarship.

Hmmm. . . That works out to 33% "taken". If I pay for a car with 1/3 stolen money, do I get to keep the car, on the premise that most of the money was my own?

[Servant of the Nine]

Yes, he was such a great man.

Yes, he was. You don't have to be good to be great. Most great men have behaved despicably.

He did catalyze the civil rights struggle of the '60s.

Come up with some new information about him, or write a history book, if you can, but rehashing this on the King Holliday is just a backhanded way of bashing the "uppity niggers". There is no other possible rationale for doing it.

So9

[crazykatz]

BUMP

[Revolting cat!]

"Hurray for the hero of a single quote", the offended one seems to be telling us! Heck, hurray for the Plagiarist! Hurray for Soviet Gulag Apologist! Hurray, as the Simpsons once suggested, for Everything!

[Austin Willard Wright]

And King the Communist (right?) voted for Ike in 1956. I guess that makes an Ike a commie too, eh?

[EaglesUpForever]

I agree.

[Irene Adler]

I am glad to have read more of the background surrounging King's plagiarism of his doctoral thesis. Thank you for posting this....EVEN on MLK day!

[Irene Adler]

surrounging = surrounding

[em2vn]

Offensive to whom? Doctor King isn't offended. What better time to question a man's integrity than on the day he is being recognized by this nation for his integrity. Your hyper, over practiced sensitivity is noted but misplaced. Maybe any public school which is named after Doctor King should have its name changed because of his plagiarism just as schools named for George Washington are being changed because of his flaws.

[banjo joe]

And by the way since when was a "Christian" minister supposed to have dozens of affairs, visit prostitutes and rip off his dissertation??

The previous (take note: previous) pastor at my chuch was summarily dismissed for a one-time infidelity, which he voluntarily confessed.