Why King Should Not Have Perpetrated Sexism While Fighting Racism

This class and this blog are first and foremost concerned with the oppression that faced Rev. Martin King, Jr. and the rest of black America then and now. However, as they were then, the oppression of other social groups and the fate of those groups in American society is intrinsically connected to that of black Americans. Not everyone can be an activist for any one of these social issues, and I would argue that almost no one can effectively be an activist for all of these social issues. Just like King did, we have the moral obligation to fight for the issues that personally affect us the most directly. However, that should not imply an ignorance to the other issues present, especially those most directly connected to the issues that are at the heart of our own concern. Although we can only be effective in actively fighting for one major social issue each, we can never fall silent against the oppression of any other groups. King was notably sexist, and arguing that "he was a man of his time" absolutely does not justify this sexism, just as it does not justify racism. In this area, King is a prime example of exactly what not to do as an activist; in fighting against the oppression of one group, one cannot play a part in the oppression of another group. This is the definition of hypocrisy.

In a generation of activism that quite nearly transcends all others in its progressiveness, today's activists must learn lessons from the shortcomings of those who came before. King teaches this very important lesson: an activist cannot and should not raise up one group while putting down another. The greatest support for progressive activists will always come from other progressive activists. The greatest support for minorities will always come from other minorities. The greatest support for the oppressed will always be from other oppressed peoples. The greatest support for civil rights activism has and will always come from women, other minorities, and other oppressed groups in the world. To understand this is crucial in maximizing the effectiveness of a movement. King understood this to some extent, which is why he recruited the aid of black women activists and other civil rights group, and the sympathy of oppressed groups in apartheid-ruled Africa. However, he did not grasp the key idea that in order to maximize the effectiveness of his movement, and gain the maximum amount of support from women in America, he could not be sexist. The consequences of his failure to hold everyone to the same standard and progress past the social fallacies of his time will be unknown as long as the potential increase of support that could've been garnered with support for women's rights remains unknown. But the past is important only in that it influences the future, and activists today should learn from the shortcomings of King in order to create the most positive social change as possible in the modern day.