To conclude the Martin Luther King Week festivities on Tuesday evening, January 26th, the passionate Southern Baptist preacher, Dr. William H. Gray III, delivered his remarks on the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Gray addressed the history of the Civil Rights Movement and issues that continue to face America today.

“Not many people can say that they were there on that hot August day, when 250,000 Americans gathered to fight racism” He said. “When Martin Luther King Jr. came up to the podium, he launched a thirty-minute attack on all the foundations of the past 200 years of American history”.

Gray proceeded to paint the bleak picture of America before the civil rights movement, a time he referred to as “a wart on our nation’s history”. Gray credited both King’s leadership, and widespread media coverage via television to the success of the civil rights movement. “He called America to live up to its high ideals…and in about ten years, all the laws had changed, without a bloody revolution”.

“Many people refer to him as the ‘great dreamer’… but Martin was no dreamer… He was a revolutionary for justice. Two to three hours of community service on his birthday was not his goal”.

Gray explained how he came to know King as a child in Philadelphia, when King stayed at the Gray family home on a fundraising endeavor. King was referred to as a “close friend of the family”. Although it is something to be said to have been a friend of one of the most influential men in our country’s history, Gray is more than accomplished in his own right.

After earning his Master of Divinity degree from Drew Theological Seminary in 1966, he was installed as Senior Minister of the Union Baptist Church in Montclair, New Jersey. In the years following, Gray also worked as a housing activist and as an assistant professor. When he accepted a pastorship at Bright Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia, he found a new avenue of opportunity: politics. In 1978, Gray was elected to represent Pennsylvania’s second district in the House of Representatives, rising as high as Majority Whip. After accepting a position as president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund, Gray stepped down from his congressional seat in 1991. In 1994, Gray served as an advisor on Haiti to President Clinton. He now serves as an independent director on the boards of three large corporations.

While Martin Luther King Jr., and Gray’s characterization of him were certainly the focus of the speech, what was most intriguing was the question and answer period which followed the speech. Gray answered from his experiences questions that were posed by audience members about contemporary American issues; such as unemployment and education, and Haiti.

When asked “What would Martin be doing today?” Gray responded by saying, “He would be looking for injustice in the world …moving toward economic rights and world peace”. “There are many areas where he would question us” Gray said “such as black vs. white unemployment differences, education, and foreign policy”.

For a man who has been more or less paid for his opinion under different titles over the course of his career; it was disappointing to find, underneath a grand fog of eloquence, only a pattern of generalizations, botched facts, and criticism.

According to Gray, everything seems to be an issue of black and white, with no other factors involved. Yes, unemployment for blacks is 1.8 times greater than whites (nowhere near 3 times greater, as Gray and the Brown and White seem to believe)1; but this still means that there are nearly 4 times as many unem ployed whites as there are unemployed blacks. Unemployment is an issue for all of us, regardless of color.

Gray thinks that more money and more social programs are the answer to our nation’s problems, stating proudly that he “opposed Reagan’s budget cuts and worked to expand social programs.” He criticizes the public education system, stating that education funding based on property tax is unfair to inner-city (black) students, suggesting an equalization of education funding, or even funneling more of the money into inner-city school districts. Established research suggests that spending does not always have a direct effect on quality of education. According to a study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United States is tied for the highest annual spending per student at 11,000 dollars, but has lower math, reading and science levels than other developed nations.2 Similarly, an article by the Washington Post shows that the Washington DC school district, while providing above average funding at $12,979 per student annually, still places far below average, with double the average percent of students lacking basic math skills (62%).3 In addition, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, annual per pupil expenditures in urban areas are nearly 25% greater than those in rural areas; and annual per pupil expenditures were greater for high poverty areas than low poverty areas.4

Finally, Gray’s comments on Haiti were most interesting, considering he is certainly an authority on the subject. During the speech, Gray stated that King would have said (about the tragedy in Haiti): “We should have done something a long time ago”. Gray blamed America for Haiti’s poverty citing a “racist trade embargo” imposed on Haiti after the country gained its independence from France in 1804.

What Gray didn’t mention however, was that the young nation of America was just following suit after the large colonial states of France, Spain and Great Britain all declared trade embargoes on Haiti; and that our young nation was also a victim of the same harsh tactic, before and after the Revolutionary War. Haiti has suffered through a long history of political instability and division, including 32 coups, which has weakened the country far more than any trade embargo ever could. Worst of all, world superpowers, such as France, Germany, and the United States, have all played God in Haitian politics, further weakening the government and lowering the country’s morale1. He also spoke of his efforts to pass a multi-billion dollar aid package to improve Haiti’s infrastructure while advisor on Haiti to President Bill Clinton.

Overall, the University made a good choice for a Martin Luther King Week keynote speaker. Gray has led a life similar to King’s, both strongly advocating for their race in the public spotlight. Who better to comment on the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. than a close family friend, and fellow “revolutionary for justice”? That being said, Gray’s comments expose his narrow-mindedness, shortsightedness and abundantly obvious racial bias. By focusing on the differences between blacks and whites, Gray characterized whites as the enemy. His comments create more division in an America that is undergoing the healing process, trying to close the gap between blacks and whites. Typical of a politician, Gray’s solution to every problem is to throw more money at it; even when this is already being done and is not working. Anyone can look into our nation’s past and point out the problems. One would expect a man of Gray’s accomplishments and experience to offer real solutions, instead of biased criticism.

1. Martinez, L. (2010, January 29). Former Congressman recalls MLK. The Brown And White.
2. OECD. (2005, 13 09). OECD calls for broader access to post-school education and training. Education at a Glance.
3. Keating, D., & Haynes, V. D. (2007, June 10). Can D.C. Schools Be Fixed? The Washington Post.
4. Planty, M., Hussar, W., Snyder, T., Kena, G., KewalRamani, A., Kemp, J., et al. (2009). The Condition of Education 2009 (NCES 2009-081). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

Writer’s Note:
1 A good example of this is the United States’ military occupation
and re-insertion by force of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, after he was exiled from Haiti in a military coup in 1991, which was planned in part by Dr. William H. Gray III. Aristide was forced into exile again in 2004 after a 2004 rebellion.