Controversies
A large number of controversies surrounded this great man. People often get the impression that he was infallible, a person who could do no wrong. However, many other famous blacks within the Civil Rights Movement criticized Martin Luther King Jr.’s methods, saying that they were ineffective. King himself was found to have plagiarized a number of his academic works. King may have been one of the most influential people within the Civil Rights Movement, but the way people revere him today stems somewhat from a lack of knowledge in regards to his mistakes.
King’s methods of protests drew criticism from many other proponents of racial equality and black power. Many other more militant fighters against discrimination believed that King’s methods lacked any true impact upon society, and that the only way to succeed was to, as put by Malcolm X: “…which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary.” These fighters against discrimination used more violent methods of protestations, and often criticized King’s methods, deeming them ineffective. Malcolm X, one of the most prominent members of the Nation of Islam, said of King: “He got the peace prize, we got the problem.... If I'm following a general, and he's leading me into a battle, and the enemy tends to give him rewards, or awards, I get suspicious of him. Especially if he gets a peace award before the war is over.” Other groups, such as the Black Power movement and the Black Panther party, would also pursue more militant methods of protest, resulting in a large number of violent protests. In the light of this, many people began to wonder if King’s methods of non-violence were actually effective. Today, it is widely regarded that they certainly were, but the Civil Rights Movement may have needed a mixture of both violence and non-violence to succeed.
King also plagiarized a large number of works during his student life. This ‘habit’ would continue on through his life, with sections from King’s first book Stride Towards Freedom being found to have been taken word-for-word from Anders Nygren and Paul Ramsay’s works without any reference to them. King’s plagiarism would continue to go unnoticed for over 30 years, only unearthed at last in 1990. Many people now question what this has to do with people today. After all, King still managed to push the issue of black civil rights forward, forcing America and the rest of the world to deal with the problem of racism. However, this still calls into question King’s integrity. Plagiarism is still a serious issue, and King’s examples of academic dishonesty should not be followed. It is because of this that people wonder if King should have a national holiday reserved just for him. Plagiarism is punished severely today, with punishments including failure and even expulsion. If King’s severe record of plagiarism is noted, then it is difficult to believe that such a holiday is truly ‘ethical’.
King’s methods of protests drew criticism from many other proponents of racial equality and black power. Many other more militant fighters against discrimination believed that King’s methods lacked any true impact upon society, and that the only way to succeed was to, as put by Malcolm X: “…which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary.” These fighters against discrimination used more violent methods of protestations, and often criticized King’s methods, deeming them ineffective. Malcolm X, one of the most prominent members of the Nation of Islam, said of King: “He got the peace prize, we got the problem.... If I'm following a general, and he's leading me into a battle, and the enemy tends to give him rewards, or awards, I get suspicious of him. Especially if he gets a peace award before the war is over.” Other groups, such as the Black Power movement and the Black Panther party, would also pursue more militant methods of protest, resulting in a large number of violent protests. In the light of this, many people began to wonder if King’s methods of non-violence were actually effective. Today, it is widely regarded that they certainly were, but the Civil Rights Movement may have needed a mixture of both violence and non-violence to succeed.
King also plagiarized a large number of works during his student life. This ‘habit’ would continue on through his life, with sections from King’s first book Stride Towards Freedom being found to have been taken word-for-word from Anders Nygren and Paul Ramsay’s works without any reference to them. King’s plagiarism would continue to go unnoticed for over 30 years, only unearthed at last in 1990. Many people now question what this has to do with people today. After all, King still managed to push the issue of black civil rights forward, forcing America and the rest of the world to deal with the problem of racism. However, this still calls into question King’s integrity. Plagiarism is still a serious issue, and King’s examples of academic dishonesty should not be followed. It is because of this that people wonder if King should have a national holiday reserved just for him. Plagiarism is punished severely today, with punishments including failure and even expulsion. If King’s severe record of plagiarism is noted, then it is difficult to believe that such a holiday is truly ‘ethical’.