Fulton County Sheriff’s Office/Getty Composite
Donald Trump and Martin Luther King Jr. have a lot in common, especially in their mugs — at least that’s what some on the right are saying … on a momentous day, no less.
Indeed, this is a comparison that several conservatives on Twitter have actually been making over the last 24 hours — which just so happens to fall on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington Saturday, when MLK delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech in D.C.
Fulton County Sheriff’s Office/Getty Composite
The reason so many of these right-wing figures are suggesting DT and MLK are one in the same here, apparently, has to do with how they look in the police booking photos.
Obviously, Trump comes across as angry and defiant — and many are suggesting he’s echoing the likes of other iconic American figures throughout history … like Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin and, yes, even Dr. King. That’s what FOX News’s Will Cain said Friday, anyway.
He got pushback from FOX contributor Jessica Tarlov … who said what Trump’s going through in the criminal justice system right now isn’t even close to what MLK put up with.
One would think it’s an obvious apples-to-oranges case, but it sounds like A LOT of Trump supporters legitimately think he’s a victim of political persecution … and a target of Justice Department. That was true in Dr. King’s case, no doubt, but the jury’s kinda out on Trump.
Dr. King, of course, was arrested many, many times over the years (wrongly, and often without just cause) for trying to stand up for civil rights for Black Americans. His imprisonments were often carried out down in the South, especially in Alabama.
Like Trump, though, he was also arrested by Atlanta-area authorities during a protest sit-in in 1960. That’s not much of a connection, but some are connecting those dots regardless.
Another weird thing that’s happening with this Trump/MLK phenomenon … a ton of AI art is being generated and circulated that shows the two of them cozying up and posing together.
Now, as you might imagine … there’s been a lot of outcry over the viral juxtaposition. The argument on the other side of this is … Trump is not the martyr his base is trying to make him out to be, and he certainly shouldn’t be mentioned in the same convo as MLK at all.
None of MLK’s family members have responded to this side-by-side just yet … which makes sense. A lot of them are down in Washington right now trying to honor his memory/legacy.
Remembering MLKLaunch GalleryGetty
That’s not stopping the MAGA crowd from rallying around this idea, though. Strange times.
N.J. civil rights group to host MLK convention on resistance to Trump
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The People’s Organization for Progress will host an all-day conference on Saturday to plan resistance to what the Newark-based civil rights group says are efforts by the Trump administration and others to roll back a century of progress.
The Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance will take place at Essex County College’s Smith Hall in Newark from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. To participate, register online at the convention’s Eventbrite page, call (973) 801-0001, or email info@njpop.org.
Organizers said about 200 people registered as of Thursday.
Registrants will vote for a dozen or so resolutions declaring a position on various issues that will then be used by 270 civil rights and community groups, labor unions and other organizations that have endorsed the conference to help guide their political activities, said Lawrence Hamm, founding chairman of the People’s Organization For Progress or POP.
“What we’re trying to do is create a political consensus around issues,” Hamm told NJ Advance Media on Thursday. “And the reason it’s framed as the Martin Luther King Convention is because we’re trying to frame the issues within the context of Dr. King’s agenda: to eliminate poverty; to have economic justice for working people; to observe human rights; all the kinds of things Dr. King stood for.”
Groups that have endorsed the conference include the state and multiple county branches of the NAACP, New Jersey Peace Action, the National Black Political Convention, the ACLU of New Jersey, Jews for Palestinian Right of Return, the Reformed Church of Highland Park, the Morris County Chapter of NOW, and the New Jersey AFL-CIO.
The conference will begin with breakfast and registration from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., followed by Hamm’s welcome and opening remarks at 9:30.
From 10 to noon, there will be the first of two plenary sessions, during which resolutions will be proposed and voted on. A second plenary session will run from 1 to 2 p.m., following an hourlong lunch break.
From 2-3:30 p.m., there will be a forum for candidates in this year’s gubernatorial race, regardless of party affiliation.
As of Thursday evening, Hamm said he had received commitments to attend from Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka and former State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, both Democrats running for governor, and from South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum, a candidate for lieutenant governor who will also represent her Democratic running mate for governor, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop. Hamm said Republican candidate Sen. John Bramnick, R-Union, had agreed to take part in the forum.
A 3:30 p.m. closing session will review the resolutions that were passed.
The conference is a follow-up to a Jan. 18 Martin Luther King March of Resistance, also organized by POP, which drew hundreds of marchers to the streets of Newark two days before the Monday holiday marking King’s birth, which coincided with Trump’s Jan. 20 swearing-in.
The march served as a repudiation of Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021 and his campaign vows for mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and other moves opposed by progressives.
Likewise, an announcement of Saturday’s MLK convention called it “a resistance to all efforts, including those of the Trump administration, to erase the gains of the civil rights movement and the social progress of the past century.”
But one of the state’s most ardent Trump supporters, America First Republicans of New Jersey co-chair Michael Crispi, said the president and King stood for the same things, including advancing the education and economic interests of African Americans.
For example, Crispi said that during Trump’s first term, he signed the FUTURE Act, legislation providing $255 million in permanent annual funding for historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, a move recalled by the White House on Wednesday in an announcement of new HBCU-related initiatives.
And, Crispi said, Trump’s efforts to bring back manufacturing jobs to the United States — largely through tariffs — would benefit Black workers.
He cited Trump’s improvement at the polls among voters of color in November and branded Hamm and other critics as divisive.
“It tells you that the people are rejecting the nonsense, and they’re thinking for themselves,” Crispi said.
NOTE: This article was updated to reflect an additional candidate’s pledge to take part in the gubernatorial forum.
MLK and Trump: Students speak out/part 2
By:
Feb 10, 2025
King does not deserve slap in the face
By ALEXIS WILSON
Not honoring historic individuals is a slap in the face, a Claflin University student said.
Madison Robinson, a junior Claflin student and Student Government Association vice president, and Gauryama Blanchard, a freshman, commented on the recent Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
For Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a day of remembrance. This holiday honors those who fought for better treatment of Black people.
“To not celebrate historic individuals is a slap in the face and disgraceful, especially since the world we know today is partly better due to their direct efforts,” Robinson said
Robinson does not want King’s legacy to be forgotten.
“It is important to celebrate MLK Day in 2025 because we cannot let his legacy go in vain. Dr. King, amongst others, worked tirelessly to help their community, risking their livelihoods so that later generations can grow in a better future,” Robinson said.
Blanchard shared the importance of the holiday, noting the sacrifices made by King and others.
“I think it’s important to celebrate MLK Day to further share the story of one of the many people who sacrificed so much for freedoms we have today,” Blanchard said.
For Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a day of service and his sacrifices to the Black community inspire her.
“Dr. King’s life was dedicated to public service and the advancement of Black people; his continuous fight is admirable and inspiring. Despite all the hardships pushed on him during his lifetime, he still persevered, and it fuels my passion in the current day,” Robinson said.
Blanchard said the holiday is “more than just a national holiday.” She notes King’s purpose for Black advancement was impactful.
King was an activist and participated in community service. To honor his legacy, Robinson feels the holiday should encompass his beliefs.
“By engaging in community service, we are continuing the dream and therefore it is a type of activism, in my opinion. Continuing the fight for the Black community is activism, and continuously helping our own community is a part of that,” Robinson said.
Robinson spends her holiday giving back to the community.
“Typically, my family and I volunteer by helping at the homeless shelter up the street from my house. It is always a fulfilling experience as I enjoy helping others,” Robinson said.
Blanchard adds that Martin Luther King Jr. Day should be used as a day of service. She says people should participate in marches and hold speeches about Black issues to evoke change.
Blanchard shared that this is her first King holiday on a college campus. Yet, in previous years, she has participated in events to commemorate the holiday.
“This is my first MLK Day in college, but in prior years, I have participated by sharing the story of MLK through speech, along with facilitating MLK celebrations at my school,” Blanchard said.
Both students believe King’s holiday can be used to spread equality and unity among college students.
They say college allows students to expand their knowledge of different cultures. Through college events and programs, students can accept different backgrounds solidifying King’s dream.
Students engage in service for MLK Day
By MARICELLYN MCDONALD
Students participated in acts of service to celebrate MLK Day holiday, which was declared as a national day of service in 1994 encouraging Americans to participate in community and volunteer work to honor the civil rights leader’s legacy.
“Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, especially as a Black college student, is important,” said Summer Edmond, president of the Gamma Nu chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
The Gamma Nu chapter held a collection drive for MLK Day and snack items were donated to the Claflin University Athletics Department. Additionally, members of the chapter also packed meals for children in local communities as part of their Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Pack (CHIPP) project.
Edmond believes it is essential to honor King’s legacy in celebration of the progress made since the civil rights movement.
“His work laid the foundation for many of the freedoms and opportunities that students, particularly Black students, now enjoy,” Edmond said. “In an environment where education is a tool for empowerment, his legacy serves as a reminder of the struggles and sacrifices made for access to education, justice, and equal opportunity.”
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On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump was officially inaugurated as the country acknowledged MLK Day. Many students chose to opt out of watching the inauguration and celebrated MLK Day instead.
Gabriella Green, a second-year student at Claflin, was among those who chose not to watch the inauguration. She felt the event was in direct contrast to what the day stands for.
“I felt disrespected for him (Dr. King) because that’s not what he would have wanted at all,” Green said.
Green noted the importance of King’s legacy and believes it is essential to follow his beliefs and practices in the coming years.
“MLK was positive, a peaceful protester, and I feel like we should follow that,” she said. “We know this is not what we want right now, but in four years, anything can happen.”
Above all else, she reminds other students to keep King’s memory alive.
Taking away importance of MLK Day
By ALHAYA BRICKLE
President Donald Trump was inaugurated inside the United States Capitol in Washington on Jan. 20, the same day as the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Was this a coincidence? How do students at Claflin feel about this?
Sanaa Mims, a senior majoring in psychology, said, “Trump’s being inaugurated on that day was on purpose to take away from the importance of MLK Day.”
MLK Day has been celebrated for many years, honoring the life and work of King. It is known that the holiday encourages many to reflect on his principles of non-violent resistance and racial equality
It is also believed by many that Trump is a racist who follows the opposite of King’s principles, hence the distress many students at Claflin feel.
“I just think that Trump is trying to erase Black history,” said Janiya Evans, a senior. “Dr. King is up above, ashamed of what is happening right now.
She said Trump is further pushing the narrative about forgetting Black history by having his inauguration on that day purposefully and recently signing executive orders such as ending DEI and removing the Tuskegee Airmen from Air Force training.
Respond peacefully with love’
By EVAN JENKINS
Claflin Student Activity Board sophomore class representative Jayla Mcgill believes Martin Luther King Jr.’s work inspires modern social justice movements.
“Promoting nonviolent protest and civil disobedience has shaped modern social justice movements,” Mcgill said. “Martin’s most important lesson from his legacy is the power of perseverance and nonviolent resistance.”
His contributions are honored today through Martin Luther King Jr. Day, memorials and educational programs throughout the whole world,” Mcgill said. “Dr. King is truly deserving of all the recognition he is given and more.”
Derrion Campbell, the 22nd Mister Claflin University, believes he incorporates King’s teachings into his own life and work.
“As a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc., I can say that Dr. King truly inspires me daily. I am active in my community, aware of my place in society and passionate about spreading unity and positivity.”
Campbell said that MLK’s contributions have been represented and honored in modern culture.
“A lot of organizations commemorate his lifelong legacy through service, marches and other events that represent the impactful dream of Dr. King,” Campbell said.
“My friends jokingly refer to me as the MLK of the group because whenever opposition arrives, I strive to respond peacefully with love,” Campbell said.
