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A comment as an European outsider to our fellow americans here in HN: I would say this speech is not just american but it belongs to the whole recent western cu

A comment as an European outsider to our fellow americans here in HN: I would say this speech is not just american but it belongs to the whole recent western culture as much as May 68, the Carnation Revolution, or the fall from Berlin's wall.

wolverine876 5y ago
What is its presence like in your part of the world? Do people know about it? Do they read it? How is it perceived?
- runarberg 5y ago
  I’m a European that migrated to America a few years ago. MLK is certainly well known where I come from (Scandinavia). His legacy is known by most and his political alignments and are known by most people on the left political spectrum. When people bring up racial injustice in America his name often pops up. However it is not often where his name is connected to the broader context. People on the left might mention him when talking about economic injustice in relation to race in Europe, but I would say it is rare. Sometimes really competent journalists might quite him or bring his historical context, but that is even rarer. He is most often thought off as an American addressing American problems, which I personally think is a pity. I would think his legacy in Scandinavia is about the same as the legacy of Nelson Mandela is to Americans.
- nudpiedo 5y ago
  I would say it is well known by everyone who has a regular amount of general culture. The view of MLK it is without doubts positive, and the social fight he represents it is seen as it was necessary or inevitable, like universal suffrage, feminism and the like (but particular for the cause). In Spain it is indirectly studied together with cultural movements of the XX century and the evolution of society. But not too much or specifically, but as it became a Pop Icon (due its martyrdom, appearance in news, documentaries, or even advertisement spots) everyone would know about it as much as people in America might now about Gandhi just to say an example. Very few people might know specifics of his life, or a very accurate context on how exactly was American society at the time he lived, but undoubtably everyone knows or has heard of MLK, could recognize his face and the first sentence of his speech and the social fight against racial discrimination. What it is not completely understood from American society, for example, is all the nuances and cultural differences regarding racism and daily interactions. For example, people picture racism as black or white dichotomy (forgetting many other issues or different minorities), and they cannot understand why the word “nigger” is taboo and at the same time used constantly in shows by black people themselves, I remember even a youngster who thought that it was kind of joke/slang thing and repeated it aloud without fully comprehend the social taboo around it or degree of ofende that it would have that implied for an american person. In this regard movies and Netflix shows sort of educate people about these topics in American culture. I would say, in spite of everyone fully agreeing with the ideals of MLK, racism or how social integration across different racial groups works, is still understood in different ways and totally depends on the local culture of each country; one example which I found myself crazy: in Spain no one could understand blackfacing as a derogatory action as it is part of some cultural celebrations without any intention of mocking or whatsoever, but in Britain I believe the same action would be understood as a large offense against black or people of color. And still in both countries the majority of its population would agree without hesitation on the ideals that MLK represents. But again, these are cultural differences, the message of MLK is largely accepted and even understood necessary as part of a social society where everyone an be part of and being judged by its personality not by its race. P.D. I hope not to be misunderstood, as I know in America many people is largely sensible to this topic.
  - wolverine876 5y ago
    Very interesting. Many people in the U.S. don't understand the problem with blackface, etc. (though they would have to live in a cave to not know it's considered offensive). FWIW, the use of the n-word by African-Americans is an appropriation (in a good way) of power. For so long, its use was a demonstration of white power over black people, the power to demean publicly. Now white people don't dare use it (probably the most offensive word in English) - again, a good thing - but African-Americans hold the unique authority to say it. > P.D. I hope not to be misunderstood, as I know in America many people is largely sensible to this topic. If it helps, you might replace a certain word above with "n-" or "n*" or "n-word". It's a common trolling racist technique to find any 'legitimate' excuse to use that word.
ttfkam 5y ago
During his lifetime, MLK was far more highly regarded by those outside the US than he was by those within it. Mainstream America never really accepted and embraced him until after his death and with a heaping dose of whitewashing. (As seen by far too many folks who only know his Dream speech and Selma march.)

wolverine876 5y ago

What is its presence like in your part of the world? Do people know about it? Do they read it? How is it perceived?

runarberg 5y ago
I’m a European that migrated to America a few years ago. MLK is certainly well known where I come from (Scandinavia). His legacy is known by most and his political alignments and are known by most people on the left political spectrum. When people bring up racial injustice in America his name often pops up. However it is not often where his name is connected to the broader context. People on the left might mention him when talking about economic injustice in relation to race in Europe, but I would say it is rare. Sometimes really competent journalists might quite him or bring his historical context, but that is even rarer. He is most often thought off as an American addressing American problems, which I personally think is a pity. I would think his legacy in Scandinavia is about the same as the legacy of Nelson Mandela is to Americans.
nudpiedo 5y ago
I would say it is well known by everyone who has a regular amount of general culture. The view of MLK it is without doubts positive, and the social fight he represents it is seen as it was necessary or inevitable, like universal suffrage, feminism and the like (but particular for the cause). In Spain it is indirectly studied together with cultural movements of the XX century and the evolution of society. But not too much or specifically, but as it became a Pop Icon (due its martyrdom, appearance in news, documentaries, or even advertisement spots) everyone would know about it as much as people in America might now about Gandhi just to say an example. Very few people might know specifics of his life, or a very accurate context on how exactly was American society at the time he lived, but undoubtably everyone knows or has heard of MLK, could recognize his face and the first sentence of his speech and the social fight against racial discrimination. What it is not completely understood from American society, for example, is all the nuances and cultural differences regarding racism and daily interactions. For example, people picture racism as black or white dichotomy (forgetting many other issues or different minorities), and they cannot understand why the word “nigger” is taboo and at the same time used constantly in shows by black people themselves, I remember even a youngster who thought that it was kind of joke/slang thing and repeated it aloud without fully comprehend the social taboo around it or degree of ofende that it would have that implied for an american person. In this regard movies and Netflix shows sort of educate people about these topics in American culture. I would say, in spite of everyone fully agreeing with the ideals of MLK, racism or how social integration across different racial groups works, is still understood in different ways and totally depends on the local culture of each country; one example which I found myself crazy: in Spain no one could understand blackfacing as a derogatory action as it is part of some cultural celebrations without any intention of mocking or whatsoever, but in Britain I believe the same action would be understood as a large offense against black or people of color. And still in both countries the majority of its population would agree without hesitation on the ideals that MLK represents. But again, these are cultural differences, the message of MLK is largely accepted and even understood necessary as part of a social society where everyone an be part of and being judged by its personality not by its race. P.D. I hope not to be misunderstood, as I know in America many people is largely sensible to this topic.
- wolverine876 5y ago
  Very interesting. Many people in the U.S. don't understand the problem with blackface, etc. (though they would have to live in a cave to not know it's considered offensive). FWIW, the use of the n-word by African-Americans is an appropriation (in a good way) of power. For so long, its use was a demonstration of white power over black people, the power to demean publicly. Now white people don't dare use it (probably the most offensive word in English) - again, a good thing - but African-Americans hold the unique authority to say it. > P.D. I hope not to be misunderstood, as I know in America many people is largely sensible to this topic. If it helps, you might replace a certain word above with "n-" or "n*" or "n-word". It's a common trolling racist technique to find any 'legitimate' excuse to use that word.

ttfkam 5y ago

During his lifetime, MLK was far more highly regarded by those outside the US than he was by those within it. Mainstream America never really accepted and embraced him until after his death and with a heaping dose of whitewashing. (As seen by far too many folks who only know his Dream speech and Selma march.)