Almost fifty years after the passing of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. his name is synonymous with non-violent protest and peaceful civil disobedience.
But contrary to the passive narrative, King was a radical. Time after time he put his body, family and livelihood on the line for the good of Black people —in a time when domestic terrorism of African Americans ran rampant.
As Candice Benbow notes for ESSENCE, to love Black people and work to see our full humanity respected, is radical activism. This is not the King most of Americans choose to remember, however. Yet his work still stands and speaks for itself.
So on this day of remembrance, we hope people remember the man and not the myth. King was a force, a table shaker. And eight of his most radical quotes give proof in the video above.