(CNN) The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have celebrated his 89th birthday on Monday. President Donald Trump's symbolic affirmation of the King holiday on Friday came amid global condemnation for his disparaging and racially inflammatory statements regarding Haitians and Africans the day before. Trump's public praise of King is belied not only by his private words but also by his deeds. The King holiday offers a moment for the nation to reflect on the meaning of American democracy, citizenship and justice. In 1968, King celebrated his birthday against a climate of political tension, racial strife and economic injustice strikingly familiar to our own time.

Source: CNN January 14, 2018 19:41 UTC