MLK’s vision of inclusive democracy contrasts with Trump’s view

On January 20, 2025By Littum

Martin Luther King, Jr. don’t see our choice as being between black versus white or republican versus democrat. For him the choice was clear: chaos or community.

Adam Clark
| Opinion contributor

What does it mean to honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr. on the same day that Donald Trump assumes the presidency? King and Trump represent two opposing visions of race and its role in American life.

For King, racism was a profound moral failure, a cancer that poisoned America’s soul. He called on America to reckon with its racial history and repair the damage caused by centuries of systemic injustice. Instead, Trump has promoted a vision of a colorblind society, one that rejects systemic inequalities and casts efforts to redress racial disparities as unnecessary or even divisive. His position suggests that racialized minorities should forget the past, work harder, and complain less—a position that ignores the structural and cultural barriers that perpetuate inequality.

King’s most enduring legislative achievements—the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965—are the foundation of today’s discussions around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Trump’s aggressive opposition to the DEI, however, reframes it not as a remedy to patterns of exclusion but as a form of reverse discrimination, arguing that it unfairly favors unqualified candidates based on race. This perspective ignores the fact that without diversity initiatives, figures like Magic Johnson, as a theater and Starbucks owner, or Michael Jordan, as a NASCAR owner, would not have achieved their groundbreaking successes.

In a new administration, can King’s vision remain a guiding force in a nation where Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan invokes an era in which black Americans were denied full citizenship and participation in American life?

The gap between ideals and reality

King’s moral vision was grounded in the belief that America must align its reality with its highest ideals of freedom, justice, and equality. He argued that the nation’s history of slavery and segregation should not define its future. History, he maintained, is not fixed; it is shaped by moral choices. King urged Americans to confront their society’s contradictions and work toward creating a more just and inclusive democracy.

This vision stands in stark contrast to Trump’s approach, which promotes a uniform national identity that sidesteps the complexities of America’s racial history and the pluralism of its contemporary society. This is not because pluralism does not exist, but because it is often suppressed or marginalized. King’s vision of national progress, by comparison, did not involve ignoring its past; instead, it called for a development towards a more inclusive democracy.

King’s World House vs. Trump’s White House

The king’s concept for House of the Worldas formulated in “Where do we go from here: Chaos or community?,” provides a stark contrast to Donald Trump’s White House. King envisioned a world where interdependence and interconnectedness break down the barriers that separate us. In contrast, Trump’s America First policies often translate into “America Only,” promoting an “us-versus-them” mentality that pits in-groups against out-groups and scapegoats marginalized communities as threats to national identity and prosperity.

Within the King tradition, DEI initiatives represent a moral imperative to dismantle institutional patterns of exclusion and marginalization. These efforts are not about opening doors to the undeserving, but about creating pathways for qualified individuals who have historically been denied opportunities. In a nation shaped by more than 150 years of legalized racial oppression, the elimination of DEI is not a defense of merit or competence—it is the continuation of white privilege.

Chaos or community

King saw a hidden wholeness beneath the brokenness and racial division of national life. He did not see our election as black versus white or Republican versus Democrat. For him the choice was clear: chaos or community. We can live together as brothers and sisters or perish together as fools. King’s legacy calls us to recognize our common humanity and create love and justice rather than fear and anger, the organizing principles of our national life.

Adam Clark is Associate Professor of Theology at Xavier University.