Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter Discussing Use of the N-Word Selling for $95K

The January 1966 letter from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in which he speaks openly about the “n-word” and the term “dark-skinned American,” is now being listed for sale.

In the letter, Dr. King was corresponding with a man named William A. Bennett, addressing points seemingly made in a prior exchange about “racial appellations.”

King tells Bennett he frequently used the term “dark-skinned American” because it reflected “both our great heritage and our devotion to a brand of Americanism of the highest order.”

Naturally, MLK also had his opinions regarding the “n-word.” He claims it “carries with it a meaning deeply rooted in the debilitating racist caste ordering of our society’s slavery epoch and segregation era.”

Until recently, the historical artifact was held in a private collection, and now it’s up for sale on the Moments In Time site for $95,000.