It's the Brian Larry Show on WNYC.

Good morning again, everyone.

Now we continue our three-part Black History Month series on the history of acknowledging

black history.

The historical hook is that this is the centennial year of the observance that became Black History Month. There is also the news

hook that the Trump administration is on a campaign to de-center black history. On Monday,

we covered the first 50 years from the establishment in 1926 of what they then called Negro History Week in 1926 through its expansion to Black History Month in 1976, today the next 50 years, 1976 to now.

Given yesterday's news, one way to frame this period is from shortly after the

death of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 to shortly after the death of Jesse Jackson this week.

Back with us now is Dr. Carsonia Wise Whitehead, President of Isala, the Association for the Study of

African American Life and History.

She's also professor of communications and African and African American Studies at Loyola University,

Maryland, and the founding executive director of the Carson Institute for Race, Peace, and Social

Justice. Dr. Kay, thanks again for doing this with us. Welcome back to WNYC.

Thank you so much. I'm excited to be back to continue this conversation. Let's start with Dr. King.

Did the fact that he was a towering figure across racial lines in the U.S. inspire more public

acknowledgement of black history across racial lines after he was killed?

Oh, that's a very good question, and thank you for that.

If people remember that the year that Dr. King was assassinated, his approval ratings were not very high.

In fact, he was considered to be one of the most disliked men in America.

So he did not die with everyone who said they

marched with him, everyone who said they loved him today, actually supporting him back in 1968.

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