In the 1900's there were many violent revolutions and civil movements going on all around the world. During this time, places that were taken over during the western imperialist expansion had the want to rebel or in the least disconnect from their mother countries. In America during the mid-1900's there was a movement now embedded into the history of the USA. This Civil Rights Movement had many leaders and influential people that have been written down in books, articles and magazines. One figure who is hammered into the heads of anyone who lives in America and his name is Dr. Martin Luther King. We hear about him all the time and even have a day celebrating him. He wrote many texts full of his ideas and beliefs, one of these writings being "The World House". Through texts like "The World House" we gain an understanding of how this idol of excellence thought of the world in his day. But through further examination of "The World House" specifically, one could actually think that these ideas are radical and this is a question that many ask today. Many inquisitive people ask, Is the image of Dr. Martin Luther King one America has created and if so who was the real MLK? Through one writing from MLK himself, "The World House", and scholarly writings form people versed in this subject, Cornel West and Michael Westmoreland-White, we endeavor to answer that question.

Starting with the essay from the man himself, Martin Luther King's "The World House" generates many ideas and questions and even supplies answers to many of the problems in the modern world written from MLK's point of view in the 1960's. While the focus is not the issues posed but on MLK's language and the answers he gives to see the real MLK. Starting with the title itself "The World House"; when most people think of Martin Luther King we think of an American Civil Rights Leader, keyword "American". The general public sees MLK as grounded in the US but the title of "The World House" alone tells us that his views did not stop just at America's borders or at the strife of African Americans in America, they were worldly in nature. This is verified in the essay itself he talks about how even though the struggle of Civil Rights is going on one must not forget the world and their stake in it (King 284). But while we know MLK was an advocate of Civil Rights for all in America it was more accurate to say that he was a supporter of the oppressed. We know this because he commends many movements of many kinds throughout the world while also discouraging the support of countries that oppress the rights of people. An example of this is when King states, "we find the powerful nations of the world incapable of taking a moral position against South Africa". This is all good but MLK was known for fighting oppression but what most don't know is that MLK also felt that the Capitalist system was flawed because in its nature it has few at the top with many at the bottom. Words like these in the 1960's usually had someone labeled as a traitor or a communist or landed in jail for treason even though he wasn't a communist or a traitor. King criticizes both communism and capitalism when he says, "Capitalism fails to see the truth in collectivism. Communism fails to see the truth in individualism" (296). But while many people fail to see who MLK really was many try to educate others in this fact.

Michael L. Westmoreland-White is one such person trying to educate. In his writing "Inhabiting the World House: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Vision in Today's World" he tells us how America, in celebration of MLK, has diluted all the things he has done and only focused on the things that can be perceived as safe for the general public. When he says, "by showing carefully edited snippets of 1963 "I Have a Dream" Speech without ever carefully examining his thought" (Westmoreland-White Inhabiting), he is telling us that because we only celebrate his big achievements and parts of his great speeches the man is fading away and all that will be left is the figure. Westmoreland also talks about how Martin Luther King was also a critic of U.S. capitalism and a strong advocate for a living wage for all workers which was another big issue at the time. Also King tried to form a "'Poor Peoples' Movement'" (Westmoreland-White Inhabiting) but apparently did not live to help it come to fruition. But back to his critique of the U.S. Capitalism, King looked at the democratic socialism in Norway and believed that was the best way of doing things. While MLK may have believed that democratic socialism was the way to do things he did not like communism, in Kings Words he wrote "Communism reduced men to a cog in the wheel of the state" (King 296). While Martin Luther King meant the best for people he did say more radical things than there is public knowledge of.

Cornel West talks about MLK's more radical moments in his writing "The radical King we don't know". In this work he starts with a couple of scenarios of which if MLK lived through his assassination the world would have known of his radical side. One of which was a scheduled Sunday sermon called "Why America May Go to Hell" (West Radical) while this sermon wasn't given copies of his writings of it still can be found on the internet. But the fact that it did not come from his mouth meant that it did not affect his legacy all that much and that his radical side was not known. West also tells us that some of King's views were not well received among the general public like his other opinions. This was his opposition to the Vietnam War and his anti-poverty status. West also tells us that when other civil rights leaders attacked his for these beliefs King stated "What you're saying may get you a foundation grant but it won't get you into the kingdom of truth" (Radical). One could gather that other civil rights leaders were trying to win and office or get support from others and that the money was coloring their beliefs. Either way it seemed that king would not sell himself out so quickly when his job was not finished.

So, did America change create the Martin Luther King we know now? The answer is Yes; The real MLK is an American icon but that does not mean that his ideas were only limited to the US as many believe. For someone to have his own holiday giving everyone a day off from work and a monument in the capital one cannot have only thought as small as one country. For all that America has done for the celebration of this man it has done one thing that he would not excuse. The U.S. has diluted his message in the pursuit and of the avoidance of civil unrest and the commodification of his ideals. Making them easy to swallow and easy to be complacent about.

