--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Martin Luther King was talking about…" description: "\"Martin Luther King was talking about racism, war and poverty. I think we have made progress enormous progress in racism and war, but we have made littl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/andrew-young-5409_complexes_martin-luther-king-was-talking-about-rac_2909015.png" --- # Martin Luther King was talking about racism, war and… ![“Martin Luther King was talking about racism, war and poverty. I think we have made progress enormous progress in racism and war, but we have made little or no progress in poverty. And it's because the economy has gotten more and more complex as we have globalized.” quote by Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/andrew-young-5409_complexes_martin-luther-king-was-talking-about-rac_2909015.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/andrew-young-5409_complexes_martin-luther-king-was-talking-about-rac_2909015.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/andrew-young-5409_complexes_martin-luther-king-was-talking-about-rac_2909015.png) > “Martin Luther King was talking about racism, war and poverty. I think we have made progress enormous progress in racism and war, but we have made little or no progress in poverty. And it's because the economy has gotten more and more complex as we have globalized.” [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker notes progress against racism and war but persistent poverty, linking it to economic complexity and globalization. **In simple terms:** Poverty remains despite advances in racism and war. Key Takeaway Address systemic economic issues. Themes social justice economics globalization Mood concerned analytical Type political critical When to use this quote - community programs - policy reform - education initiatives - global trade discussions Key Concepts inequality policy development Questions to Reflect On - What policies could reduce poverty? - How does globalization affect local economies? A Different Perspective Solutions require coordinated global effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I think we've made tremendous progress on racism. We've even made progress on war. We've made almost no progress on poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/i-think-we-ve-made-tremendous-progress-on-racism-we-ve-even-made/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [ He \[Martin Luther King Jr.\] always used to say you have no choice about being born or dying. The only thing you have a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/he-martin-luther-king-jr-always-used-to-say-you-have-no-choice-about/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [Martin Luther King said America had given a bad check to black people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/martin-luther-king-said-america-had-given-a-bad-check-to-black-people/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [By the 1960s, many of us believed that the Civil Rights Movement could eliminate racism in America during our lifetime. But despite significant progress,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/by-the-1960s-many-of-us-believed-that-the-civil-rights-movement-could/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [At the beginning of this marvelous era it was natural to expect, and it was expected, that laborsaving inventions would lighten the toil and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-george/at-the-beginning-of-this-marvelous-era-it-was-natural-to-expect-and/) [Henry George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-george/) > [“Following the Civil War, Americans began to perceive it new version of the earlier land-population-wealth crisis as an alarming trend of land consolidation and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-maxwell-brown/following-the-civil-war-americans-began-to-perceive-it-new-version-of/) [Richard Maxwell Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-maxwell-brown/) > [“Where the conditions to which material progress... are most fully realized... where wealth is greatest... we find the deepest poverty, the sharpest struggle for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/1884-henry-george-progress-and-poverty/where-the-conditions-to-which-material-progress-are-most-fully/) 1884 Henry George (Progress and Poverty > [Martin Luther King was not a Marxist or a communist, but his radical love leads him to put poor and working people at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/martin-luther-king-was-not-a-marxist-or-a-communist-but-his-radical/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [If Martin Luther King looked at the Obama administration and saw an intimate connection with Wall Street, he'd be very critical. If he saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/if-martin-luther-king-looked-at-the-obama-administration-and-saw-an/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [To stand together against homophobic, sexist, misogynistic, anti-Semitic and racist agendas. I’m an optimist and I can’t help but feel hopeful about the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/to-stand-together-against-homophobic-sexist-misogynistic-anti-semitic/) [Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/) > [Anybody who takes Martin Luther King seriously has got to go beyond the standard understanding of who he was, has to connect those dots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/anybody-who-takes-martin-luther-king-seriously-has-got-to-go-beyond/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The only politician anybody ever believed was Kennedy, anyway. Kennedy, Martin Luther King - civil rights always turns out in bloody war. Where's his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-macgowan/the-only-politician-anybody-ever-believed-was-kennedy-anyway-kennedy/) [Shane MacGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-macgowan/) > [Most students graduate from high school knowing nine words about the civil rights movement: Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and "I Have a Dream."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-aydin/most-students-graduate-from-high-school-knowing-nine-words-about-the/) [Andrew Aydin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-aydin/) > [I don't think anything happens without the press, one way or the other. I think it's all done for it. You saw it start,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-don-t-think-anything-happens-without-the-press-one-way-or-the-other/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [What is accurately portrayed is the rich humanity not just of Martin Luther King but of the movement, which was a multiracial movement. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/what-is-accurately-portrayed-is-the-rich-humanity-not-just-of-martin/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) ## More by Andrew Young > [Civil rights leaders are involved in helping poor people. That's what I've been doing all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/civil-rights-leaders-are-involved-in-helping-poor-people-that-s-what/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I think we've made tremendous progress on racism. We've even made progress on war. We've made almost no progress on poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/i-think-we-ve-made-tremendous-progress-on-racism-we-ve-even-made/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [Any racial reconciliation we've had in this country has come not out of confrontation but out of a spirit of reconciliation. If we continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/any-racial-reconciliation-we-ve-had-in-this-country-has-come-not-out/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I wouldn't listen to my parents, but I found out that I absorbed. I never heard what they said - told me - but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/i-wouldn-t-listen-to-my-parents-but-i-found-out-that-i-absorbed-i/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [In a world where change is inevitable and continuous, the need to achieve that change without violence is essential for survival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/in-a-world-where-change-is-inevitable-and-continuous-the-need-to/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [There's no problem on the planet that can't be solved without violence. That's the lesson of the civil rights movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/there-s-no-problem-on-the-planet-that-can-t-be-solved-without/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [More and more I find I'm really impressed with how much my son knows and how much he thinks like me. But he never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/more-and-more-i-find-i-m-really-impressed-with-how-much-my-son-knows/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [Look at those they call unfortunate and at a closer view, you'll find many of them are unwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/look-at-those-they-call-unfortunate-and-at-a-closer-view-you-ll-find/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [We've changed in the sense that we flipped - and this is no longer the Republican party of Lincoln. This is the party of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/we-ve-changed-in-the-sense-that-we-flipped-and-this-is-no-longer-the/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I call upon both Republicans and Democrats to work with us to have a national ID card that is free and accessible. President Lyndon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/i-call-upon-both-republicans-and-democrats-to-work-with-us-to-have-a/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [“Nothing is illegal if one hundred businessmen decide to do it. -Andrew Young, author, civil rights activist, US congressman, mayor, and UN ambassador (b. 1932)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/nothing-is-illegal-if-one-hundred-businessmen-decide-to-do-it-andrew/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [The commercialization of sport is the democratization of sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/the-commercialization-of-sport-is-the-democratization-of-sport/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I have about concluded that wealth is a state of mind, and that anyone can acquire a wealthy state of mind by thinking rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/i-have-about-concluded-that-wealth-is-a-state-of-mind-and-that-anyone/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [Martin Luther King said America had given a bad check to black people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/martin-luther-king-said-america-had-given-a-bad-check-to-black-people/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I was raised that way: don't get mad, get smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/i-was-raised-that-way-don-t-get-mad-get-smart/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) [Explore all 101 Andrew Young quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) ## More Complexes quotes > [Being an artist is a totally godlike thing to do - and I have a god complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/being-an-artist-is-a-totally-godlike-thing-to-do-and-i-have-a-god/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/) [Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/) > [People are messy and complex, particularly in the homosexual world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/people-are-messy-and-complex-particularly-in-the-homosexual-world/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [At the risk of some oversimplification, if the skill composition of our work force meshed fully with the needs of our increasingly complex capital-stock,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/at-the-risk-of-some-oversimplification-if-the-skill-composition-of/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [There's a whole journalistic-industrial complex dedicated to keeping newsprint, TV screens and radio waves clean of destabilizing scoops damaging to corporations or the state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/there-s-a-whole-journalistic-industrial-complex-dedicated-to-keeping/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [The ascent of any route begins, in dreams at least, the autumn before. Our minds ring, involuntarily, with the alluring names of mountains, aiguilles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-rebuffat/the-ascent-of-any-route-begins-in-dreams-at-least-the-autumn-before/) [Gaston Rebuffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-rebuffat/) > [Through learning we grow, becoming more than we were before, and in that sense learning is unselfish, because it results in the transformation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/through-learning-we-grow-becoming-more-than-we-were-before-and-in/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [Significantly, God in Genesis 1 pronounces the rest of creation "good" before humanity is created. The psalmist and the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-clapp/significantly-god-in-genesis-1-pronounces-the-rest-of-creation-good/) Rodney Clapp > [Naval dominance of European waters was the largest, longest, most complex and expensive project ever undertaken by the British state and society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-rodger/naval-dominance-of-european-waters-was-the-largest-longest-most/) [Nicholas Rodger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-rodger/) > [When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-you-first-start-off-trying-to-solve-a-problem-the-first/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“The act of consciousness is central; otherwise we are overrun by the complexes. The hero in each of us is required to answer the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/the-act-of-consciousness-is-central-otherwise-we-are-overrun-by-the/) [James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/) > [The only way to stave off boredom, in a complex domesticated primate like humankind, is to increase one's intelligence. This is not appealing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/the-only-way-to-stave-off-boredom-in-a-complex-domesticated-primate/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [As the number of unexplained, irreducibly complex biological systems increases, our confidence that Darwin's criterion of failure has been met skyrockets toward the maximum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-behe/as-the-number-of-unexplained-irreducibly-complex-biological-systems/) [Michael Behe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-behe/) > [We knew the Syrian situation was complex and there were lots of divisions, particularly on the side of the opposition... This is a tough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/we-knew-the-syrian-situation-was-complex-and-there-were-lots-of/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) [Browse all 1,635 Complexes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Martin Luther King was talking about racism, war and poverty. I think we have made progress enormous progress in racism and war, but we have made little or no progress in poverty. 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