In part of Black History Month, Dr. Darryl Howard, a Dallas College professor, hosted a presentation titled “The Black Resistance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr” on the North Lake Campus.

De. Howard discussed why King was once the most hated man in America.

Dr. Howard’s theme during the presentation was about MLK’s “Three Evils of Society,” as described by Dr. King “There are three evils in our nation, not only racism but economic exploitation … and then militarism.”

Dr. Howard discussed passionately the untalked side of King, but before giving his extensive insight on King, he had to address some key background information on the topic.

The MLK that we don’t know

Dr. Howard said most people see King as a role model for civil and voting rights, being associated with the same “I Have a Dream” speech.

From the Montgomery Bus boycott in 1956 where he was arrested, to witnessing the Civil Rights Act being signed in 1965, with President Lyndon B. Johnson.

These were key highlights for Dr. King and many that the public already knows.

With a Nobel Peace Price on his belt, and opinions that he had lived a good life, the outlook of King most people have had seemed positive.

Dr. Howard said his major accomplishments, however, do not address the full story that King wanted to deliver.

Dr. Howard explains to the audience three reasons why King’s outlook had changed: Because of his geographic shift in the civil rights campaign from the South to the North, his “condemnation” to the Vietnam War and for speaking out against poverty.

“Because that was the American mindset during the 1960s, because of King’s condemning of the Vietnam War, King was considered a communist,” Dr. Howard said. “He was considered an enemy of the nation.”

Dr. Howard said why King once went from a popular to controversial figure in the 1960s.

In 1967, Dr. King had a 75% negative approval rating on a Gallup Poll, which Howard deemed him as the “most hated man in America.”

What Black Resistance means

Dr. Howard wanted the audience to understand the phrase “Black Resistance” as a positive phrase or connotation.

“It is a phrase that talks about how African Americans historically have resisted historic and ongoing oppression in a variety of forms,” Dr. Howard said.

There are many types of Black Resistance found throughout the world, for instance, the Black resistance in medicine of Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, an African American viral immunologist and professor.

Dr. Corbett uses her viral immunology expertise to propel novel vaccine development for pandemic preparedness, including mRNA-1273, a leading vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, according to harvard.edu.

Dr. Corbett is a vaccine specialist and an outstanding contributor in viral immunology, in which Howard said it essentially means that she had a hand in the creation of the vaccine to fight COVID-19.

Another type of Black Resistance found in the 19 century, is a newspaper related to Black Resistance in media: the Black-owned newspaper Freedom’s Journal.

Established in 1827, the journal listed out their primary cause for their patrons.

Dr. Howard showed a presentation of the Freedom Journal which read: “We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us.” It was a bold way of establishing a stance for black media.

Dr. Howard said to the audience to join the civil rights tour happening March 23-26.

Dallas College faculty and students will be visiting several U.S. civil rights museums, memorials and historical sites in Mississippi, Alabama and more.

Contact Shanee Moore for more information at [email protected] about the tour.

Howard told the crowd his one important question, “Will you join in the fight against the triple evils of society?”