As the number of U.S. soldiers fighting and dying in Vietnam continued to increase during the mid-1960s, Martin Luther King Jr. found himself in a tough spot with President Lyndon B. Johnson.

It was Johnson who had signed into law both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It was Johnson who orchestrated the Great Society programs that promised social uplift and racial equality. But LBJ was also at the heart of the escalation of the war.

Though his advisers urged him not to speak out against the war, King ultimately did, often and loudly. For King, “silence had become betrayal.” Hajar Yazdiha writes about King’s views on war − and what he might say about peace in the Middle East. “This is the story of the anti-war King who understood that violence begets violence and that the political courage to speak for peace is essential to democracy.”

Howard Manly

Race + Equity Editor

Martin Luther King Jr.’s moral stance against the Vietnam War offers lessons on how to fight for peace in the Middle East

Hajar Yazdiha, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. knew the political consequences of speaking out against the Vietnam War − and he did it anyway.

What enforcement power does the International Court of Justice have in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel?

Victor Peskin, Arizona State University

While the International Court of Justice lacks enforcement powers, it can issue orders that could heighten international pressure on Israel to curtail some of its offensive in Gaza.

Afcon: everything you need to know about a record year for Africa’s biggest football event

Chuka Onwumechili, Howard University

Increased prize money, several new broadcasting deals and the biggest names in African football will define the 2024 action.