The Washington Post came out with a piece today labeling Martin Luther King a 'true conservative'. This affront to King's memory is not an isolated phenomenon, as many writers attempt to downplay his radicalism.
From the Washington Post article:
"But in his way, Dr. King did a lot to preserve, protect and defend the best of our principles and values... Dr. King worked to turn back extremism, violence and racial nationalism at the height of the civil rights movement, and to keep the cause of essential and long-overdue change in the American mainstream." [1]
Dr. King did not "[work] to turn back extremism", he was an extremist. The definition of extremism is generally built around the current status quo of society, and King's message was completely antithetical to the fundamentals of society in the '50s and '60s. The FBI developed an extensive file on King, and even attempted to blackmail him into killing himself [2].
King is often used to attack more radical groups like the Black Panthers or the Weathermen, and more recently many have attacked Black Lives Matter protesters, claiming that King would be ashamed of or disgusted by them. King did advocate for non-violence, but he never saw those rioting or pursuing justice by more violent means as evil.
The third form of whitewashing I've seen is a separation of King from class justice. If King was purely involved with identity politics with no regard for class, it is far easier for the right to claim him, as the fundamentals of our political spectrum revolve around economics. King of course did not separate class from racial justice, and was a radical in that area too.
I think the best way to respond to the whitewashing of King is through his own words.
King on riots:
"But it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear?…It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity." (The Other America, 1968)
King on capitalism (1):
"When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered." (Beyond Vietnam, 1967)
King on Capitalism (2):
"The evils of capitalism are as real as the evils of militarism and evils of racism.” (Southern Christian Leadership Conference Speech, 1967)
King on the American Dream:
"Again we have deluded ourselves into believing the myth that Capitalism grew and prospered out of the Protestant ethic of hard work and sacrifice. The fact is that capitalism was built on the exploitation and suffering of black slaves and continues to thrive on the exploitation of the poor – both black and white, both here and abroad." (The Three Evils of Society, 1967)
King on Moderates:
"First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection." (Letter From a Birmingham Jail, 1963)
King on the Necessity of Radical Solutions:
"The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power.” (The Three Evils of Society, 1967)