DR KING ON THE BOOTSTRAP MYTH

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights legend, political philosopher and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, delivered his final speech on 31 March 1968 at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, in the United States. He debunked the myth of the bootstrap philosophy, which says anyone could succeed in the United States by working hard and 'pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps.' Dr. King said this myth overlooked the historical and structural barriers that hinder many Africans in the United States from achieving economic and social equality. He gave examples of how the US government had helped white people advance through policies, such as land grants, subsidies and preferential treatment, while denying the same opportunities to Africans. Dr. King demanded a radical redistribution of economic and political power to address the root causes of racial injustice.

Let us know if his words still apply.