Oh America, how often have you taken necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes… Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hello, I am Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a preacher, a civil rights leader, and an advocate for justice. In 1956, during the early days of the civil rights movement, I said: “Oh America, how often have you taken necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes… God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty.” When I spoke these words, America was grappling with profound inequalities—not just racial, but economic. Segregation and systemic racism created barriers to opportunity for millions of Black Americans, but the injustice didn’t end there. Across the nation, millions lived in poverty, unable to access basic necessities like education, housing, and healthcare, while a privileged few enjoyed unimaginable wealth. I saw this disparity as a moral failing, a direct contradiction of the principles of justice and fairness that should guide a nation.