At least that's what some Republicans would have us believe.
Yes, that is what the buttons say on "Facebook" and have been previously placed on billboards during election season in the USA-promoted by the National Black Republican Association (just curious who is funding those billboards?). Here is a link: http://www.nationalblackrepublicans....
I am sorry, but it is hilarious!! Here is part of the piece:
"Why Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican
By Frances Rice It should come as no surprise that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican. In that era, almost all black Americans were Republicans. Why? From its founding in 1854 as the anti-slavery party until today, the Republican Party has championed freedom and civil rights for blacks. And as one pundit so succinctly stated, the Democrat Party is as it always has been, the party of the four S's: Slavery, Secession, Segregation and now Socialism."
It appears this is part of a nut wing group--
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
That's why Republicans (since Nixon) have been against Affirmative Action, Civil Rights, Workers Rights--such as unionizing which help out minorities, against Voting Rights--how many times have the Republicans made attempts in high minority districts to suppress their vote?? Too many to count. However, in 2008 in Michigan, the Republican Party was attempting to derail anyone's vote who may have been foreclosed on (their thinking is it would be high minority numbers--the only problem is it would have been high in white middle class, too).
As this article from Geov Parrish shows, the Republicans are highly racist ideologues.
http://aad.english.ucsb.edu/...
Today's Republicans--which are Nixonian Republicans in that they lie, cheat and steal and turn around and lie about it again. But, today's Republicans are not the Republican Party MLK Jr., may have joined. Until LBJ got the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Act passed, it is true most Southern Democrats were not friendly towards minorities.
As this Wikipedia document shows, the Southern Democrats were not too crazy about the Civil Rights Act, but the Northern Democrats were and it was JFK who originally sent the bill to Congress, not a Republican--
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
Yet, the white anger and hatred due to the "betrayal" of the Democratic Party in actually pursuing civil and voting rights for minorities led to Nixon's "Southern Strategy"--
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
Which was effectively used by Karl Rove (Bush campaign) against John McCain in the 2000 primaries in South Carolina. So, how is MLK a Republican?
Yet, Abraham Lincoln was a "Republican." But, Lincoln, like MLK Jr., were not today's Republicans.
Here is Lincoln's view on Labor: "Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration." Lincoln's First Annual Message to Congress, December 3, 1861.
What do you say Union busting Republicans? I guess you are on board for the EFCA? Because Lincoln was a pro-labor Republican!