Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

Dr. King’s Televised Challenge to Obama: Tavis Smiley's Anti-War MLK
Glen Ford, BAR executive editor
31 Mar 2010
🖨️ Print Article
by BAR executive editor Glen Ford
Since the onset of the Obama phenomenon, Dr. Martin Luther King’s birth and death days have been “polluted” by false and ahistorical comparisons between Obama and MLK. The two men represent opposite political poles: one, a radical opponent of imperial war and concentrated economic power, the other, an ally of Wall Street and commander-in-chief of “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.” In focusing on King, the man of peace, Tavis Smiley’s PBS special corrects a history that has been distorted, sometimes beyond recognition – not the least by the revisionist and poseur in the White House.

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles? Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


More Stories


  • Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    BAR Book Forum: Jessie Cox’s Book, “Sounds of Black Switzerland”
    29 Jan 2025
    In this series, we ask acclaimed authors to answer five questions about their book. This week’s featured author is Jessie Cox. Cox is Assistant Professor of Music at Harvard University. His book is…
  • Nemanja Lukić
    Imperialist Terrorism and Accumulation Through Sanctions: The Case of Serbia
    29 Jan 2025
    Since the launch of its military operation in Ukraine, Russia has become one of the most sanctioned countries in the world. This sanctions campaign, driven by the U.S. and E.U., not only focuses on…
  • Hanna Eid
    Gaza Ceasfire: An Appraisal of the Situation
    29 Jan 2025
    A week has elapsed since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas went into effect. As Palestinians return to their devastated communities, we must analyze the moment and the…
  • Christina Carrega
    Despite Pardons, Many Formerly Incarcerated Black People Still Face Uncertainty
    29 Jan 2025
    Biden’s final executive order commuted sentences for thousands, but “collateral consequences” remain a risk.
  • Alan MacLeod
    Marco Rubio: From ‘Perfect Little Puppet’ to Most Dangerous Man Alive
    29 Jan 2025
    As a U.S. Senator, Marco Rubio was a consistent war hawk and imperialist. Now as Secretary of State he poses great danger to the world.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us