They like the fact that the urgency in King's demand for equality in the years just before his assassination in 1968 is in keeping with the tenacious nature of today's Black Lives Matter rallying cry. Today's young activists say King's harsher words resonate just as much as his methods of peaceful protest. As Carruthers sees it, "agitation" was the core of King's work. However, I think King's work and the work we do are part of the larger tradition of black radical resistance." Remembering King as a community organizer places his movement alongside contemporary activism, said Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter.

Source: ABC News January 14, 2017 13:31 UTC