The NAACP did not mince words when outgoing White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted about a hero who embodied love and faith in the pursuit of equality. Seeing McEnany tweet about honoring the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the NAACP challenged her to take action on the civil rights icon’s federal holiday by being silent. 

Conservative attempts to co-opt MLK’s legacy are not new, but on the heels of a failed coup this year’s cherry-picking of MLK quotes takes on a new life. Simply put, MLK Day is not a time for conservatives to wash away their sins against humanity.

Ivanka Trump reportedly has been trying to salvage her political career. People across Twitter did not take kindly to her posturing. 

Freshman lawmakers Reps. Lauren Boebert and Madison Cawthorn rose to prominence on messages of hate but both offered tweets on Monday attempting to reset the conversation and distance themselves from the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Boebert has been under scrutiny for possibly leading “reconnaissance tours” of the Capitol prior to the attempted coup. 

Sens. Ted Cruz, Lindsay Graham and lame-duck Kelly Loeffler spent weeks undermining election results and feeding into conspiracy theories leading to the January 6 attacks. All three tweeted MLK Day messages as if people have forgotten their recent antics. While Graham did not support Cruz and Loeffler in their plan to object to the certification of Electoral College results, he previously tried to pressure the Georgia secretary of state to change election results. 

In her failed bid to move from political appointee to elected official, Loeffler repeated false conspiracy theories about nonexistent fraud, catering to Trump supporters. She also focused on attacking the faith and leadership of Senator-elect Rev. Raphael Warnock. Loeffler and her Republican allies ran racist attack ads during the Georgia runoff attacking Warnock’s politics and faith. 

Warnock called the current backlash one of “unembarrassed bigotry” during his Sunday sermon ahead of the MLK holiday and challenged those who see calls for equity and parity as a form of oppression. NPR reported that Warnock spoke against those driven to violent action and “stirred up by demagogues.” 

In an op-ed framing the legacy of MLK within the enduring legacy of Black Liberation Theology, Professor Anthea Butler called out Loeffler’s hypocrisy. 

“Loeffler unleashed a series of attacks against Warnock and his religious beliefs in debates and in ads both before and after November, even though she had been in attendance — and sitting on the dais with Warnock — at Ebenezer Baptist Church as a guest for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day services in 2020,” Butler, an associate professor of religious studies and Africana studies at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote Monday. 

Georgia NAACP President James Woodall let off several tweets about his frustration at the way various individuals and entities take advantage of MLK Day. 

Reflecting on her father’s legacy, Dr. Bernice King warned those rushing to quote him but not engaging with his longstanding commitment to justice.

“Many who quote him now and evoke him to deter justice today would likely hate, and may already hate, the authentic King,” King tweeted. 

Anoa Changa is a movement journalist and retired attorney based in Atlanta, Georgia. Follow Anoa on Instagram and Twitter @thewaywithanoa.

SEE ALSO:

NFL Co-Opts MLK’s Quote About ‘Injustice Anywhere’ After Blacklisting Kaepernick For Protesting Police Violence

The Role Of The National Civil Rights Museum Is Upholding MLK’s Legacy

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