February 8, 2023
Fake News? Ohio Police Department Cruises Through Black History Month with False MLK Quote On Car
It looks like police departments across the country have no clue how to properly celebrate Black History Month.
BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported on the Miami Police Department driving around in a “tone deaf” police cruiser decorated in Africa-themed imagery. Now an Ohio police department is following in their footsteps. VICE reported a car from the Columbus Division of Police featured a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – only thing is, the quote is fake.
“Be the peace you wish to see in the world” was printed across the the side window of the cruiser, named “History 1,” according to VICE, however, the civil rights leader never spoke those words. Claiborne Carson, founding director of the King Institute, said he found no evidence of this quote. “The King Papers Project that I directed for more than three decades didn’t find evidence that MLKJ ever said this,” Carson said, as reported by The Miami Herald. A fellow researcher for the Institute, Meghan Weaver, said the same thing. “I am unable to confirm that King authored the specific quotation: ‘Be the peace you wish to see in the world,” she said.
The popular quote has been used by several dignitaries over the years, including Sen. and Rev. Raphael Warnock, who tweeted the same quote last October.
“Be the peace you wish to see in the world”- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Have a great week, Georgia! 🍑
— Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (@SenatorWarnock) October 30, 2022
Warnock currently serves as the the senior pastor of the famous Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta where Dr. King also served as co-pastor in 1960.
The Columbus-based police department shared a video of the cruiser, decorated in red, green, yellow and black stripes, on Instagram with a voiceover of a real Dr. King speech. “We’re proud to highlight all the men and women who’ve been trailblazers – from activists and civil rights pioneers to leaders in politics, culture, and law enforcement,” the post read. “Be on the lookout for ‘History 1’ in your neighborhood and at community events during the month of February.”
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While there is no trace of who said the quote originally, The Miami Herald reported that Mahatma Gandhi may have said something similar, using the word “change” instead of “peace.”