On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, political leaders and citizens nationwide honored the great civil rights leader who gave his life for his cause. Despite this, however, many still fail to remember King’s legacy properly.

On Sunday night, I heard a friend rejoice when he realized that the next day would be Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, because he would be able to go out that night and drink without having to worry about class the next day. I saw an advertisement online for a t-shirt with an image of King giving a speech with a popsicle in his hand and the words “I have a Dreamiscle” printed above it. And on Monday night, the final question that CNN posed to the Democratic candidates was, “If Dr. Martin Luther King were alive today, unfortunately he’s not, why would he endorse you?” These recent occurrences have served to solidify my long-held belief that Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy are not being remembered as they should be and that, ironically, his iconic status has obscured his message, the complexity of the Civil Rights Movement, and the modern fight for true equality.

Everyone knows who Martin Luther King, Jr. was, and everyone knew that he led the Civil Rights Movement to end racial injustice. Anyone can tell you that he “had a dream,” but too little attention is devoted to what that dream actually was. King was not only interested in ending injustice toward African-Americans but toward all people of the world. While he certainly ought to be celebrated as a great figure of the African-American community and its important history, he should not be viewed only as “the black leader” but also a world leader for peace-one who in many ways transcended race.

His complex and controversial views are overlooked as well. Rarely are his fight for workers nationwide, his work to combat racism and poverty in northern cities and his opposition to the Vietnam War discussed. Too many people have forgotten that during his time, King was a controversial figure, within both the white and black communities. Many whites, and not just southerners, thought that the Civil Rights Movement was causing too much trouble and was rushing the nation into something for which more time was needed, and many within the black community, especially during the mid-to-late 1960s, questioned his staunch commitment to non-violence and negotiation.

Furthermore, the tactical brilliance and intricacies of his methods are often ignored. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, which he led at the age of 26, and the March on Washington in 1963 are commonly known, but the strategic calculations of the movements he led are often overlooked. King was more than a great and inspirational orator; he was a master at organizing the Civil Rights Movement, carefully choosing the best methods to catch the attention of the nation, forcing his strong opposition to concede, and putting extraordinary pressure on politicians to act. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s work and views were much more complex than “I Have a Dream” and he ought to be treated and studied much more seriously.

Beyond obscuring the complexity of his views and methods, King’s iconic status has led many to forget the important fact that he was not alone in the fight for racial equality. As necessary to the Civil Rights Movement as King was, so were the many men, women, and even children who participated in marches, sit-ins, boycotts and protests. Many of them were beaten, attacked and killed, all in support for their cause. King, perhaps more than anyone, knew that there was much more to the movement than himself. Upon winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, he said, “In the depths of my heart I am aware that this prize is much more than an honor to me personally.You honor the ground crew without whose labor and sacrifices the jet flights to freedom could never have left the earth. Most of these people will never make the headlines and their names will not appear in Who’s Who.” Many of these people are still alive today, and their sacrifices ought not to be ignored.

Finally, the iconic status of Martin Luther King, Jr. often gives the impression that the Civil Rights Movement has ended and that all problems were solved. This is certainly not the case. After Jim Crow and notion of separate-but-equal had been defeated in the South, King and the Civil Rights Movement moved to urban areas like Chicago and Los Angeles to fight a different battle in the same war. The problems of racial inequality were much tougher in these areas, as they were tougher to publicly identify. It was during this difficult front of the Civil Rights Movement that King was assassinated. His work was never completed. These problems still exist in the 21st century. They exist beyond the ineptitude of the federal government during Hurricane Katrina, and they exist beyond the Jena Six. Though these have been only the latest public examples, the problems of racial, social, ethnic, and economic inequality exist in every town and city in America. The fight is still alive, and as Martin Luther King, Jr. said less than 24 hours before his assassination, “We’ve got to see it through.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day shouldn’t be a day like Columbus Day. It should be a day to truly remember the life and legacy of a man who motivated millions, led one of the noblest fights in world history, and ultimately sacrificed his life for a cause he saw as much bigger than himself. Perhaps there should be school on his holiday.

Altin is a senior in Arts & Sciences and Forum Editor. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].

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