Everyone wants a piece of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy

Martin Luther King Jr. was relatively unpopular when he was assassinated. But the way Americans of all political stripes invoke his memory today, you'd think he was held up as a hero. In this episode, we talk about the cooptation of King's legacy with Hajar Yazdiha, author of The Struggle for the People's King: How Politics Transforms the Memory of the Civil Rights Movement.Listen to more Code Switch at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org, or anywhere you get your podcasts.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Om Podcasten

Welcome to a collection of some of NPR's best podcast episodes and features from across the Black experience. Some might make you laugh. Some might make you feel inspired. Others might make you uncomfortable. And some might make you feel all of that in the same five-minute span. This is NPR, noir.Check out the exclusive Black Stories, Black Truths merch line, and be sure to follow all of these shows for more great content, wherever you get your podcasts.