Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a man of revelation who fought tirelessly and endlessly for the rights of African Americans all over the country. Born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929, Dr. King was always studying and learning.

Reginald Dwayne Betts went from being a 16-year-old facing a nine-year prison sentence to a MacArthur “genius,” an award-winning author, and a nonprofit founder. Dr. King’s legacy taught him that no person—or nation—is beyond redemption.

The dual celebrations of a second Trump inauguration and the civil rights leader’s birth raise profound questions about Black leadership and progress toward the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream.