The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once confessed to Harry Belafonte that he feared Black Americans were "integrating into a burning house," or a nation losing its moral vision, according to the late New York singer and activist. The problem, Belafonte said, required everyday Americans to “become the firemen.”

Today's challenges — from educational inequality and economic disparity, to voter suppression and police violence — demand that we engage with King's full legacy, not just the portions that we’re comfortable with,