This wisp of a human being takes a place at every world-wide function that involves the topic of economics and climate change. Just this morning she delivered opening remarks to the "Averting a Climate Apocolypse" panel at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

First, who would have thought that King was an Environmental Hero?

When former Attorney General Eric Holder spoke at a King commemorative event in 2011, he described King in an unusual way. King, he said, helped "plant the seeds for what would become our nation's now-thriving environmental justice movement." 

In his "A Christmas Sermon on Peace" just five months before his assassination, King delivered one of his most famous quotes: 

"All life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. We are made to live together because of the interrelated structure of reality."

Secondly:  He was a Socialist Before it was "Cool"

Many historians describe him as a "democratic socialist," someone who, according to the Democratic Socialists of America, believes the economy should be shaped "to meet public needs" and "not to make profits for a few."

 

King called for universal health care and education, a guaranteed annual income and the nationalization of some industries.

He was a big supporter of unions, and while there was no Fight for 15 campaign to raise the minimum wage during his time, he once said even menial workers should make enough "so they can live and educate their children and buy a home and have the basic necessities of life."

 

Third:  He never let a political disagreement turn nasty

"Reverend Dr. Chickenwing." "A religious Uncle Tom." A "traitor" and a "chump."

That's how one prominent black leader described King when he was alive.

That leader was Malcolm X.

 

While his denunciations of King and other leaders is well known, here's a remarkable fact: There is virtually no record of King making a personal or petty attack against Malcolm X or any other black leaders who criticized him. This could be an important lesson at a time of bitter political divisions, which are often made worse by social media.

 

If you would like to read the entire article, it is here. There is also a video that describes current-day conditions of MLK streets in various US cities that is quite interesting.