Podcast Summary

Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey

Episode: REPLAY | Was MLK a Christian Hero? Shocking Revelations Uncovered | Guest: Chad O. Jackson

Date: January 17, 2026
Host: Allie Beth Stuckey
Guest: Chad O. Jackson (Filmmaker, Researcher, Owner of a Plumbing Company)
Theme:
A provocative exploration into the life, character, and ideological influence of Martin Luther King Jr., challenging mainstream narratives particularly regarding his Christian faith, political motivations, and the civil rights movement's underlying ideological currents.

Main Theme & Purpose

The episode critically examines Martin Luther King Jr.’s faith, beliefs, and influence, arguing that much of what the public has been told about MLK and the Civil Rights movement is incomplete or misleading. Chad O. Jackson shares findings from his ongoing research and upcoming docuseries, making the case that MLK "Christianized" Marxism and was central to an ideological shift in the church and American public life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Chad Jackson’s Background and Motivation

• Grew up learning about MLK as a hero; became involved in conservative circles and independent research through the "Uncle Tom" documentary series.
• Research led to questioning MLK's revered status:
  • "It was just a big disappointment to find out the things that we ended up finding out about him in terms of the fact that he wasn't a real Christian...The basic, fundamental tenets of the Christian faith, he didn't believe." (06:53)
• Motivation for new docuseries: Expose the "untold history" and implications for the church.

2. MLK’s Theology and Christian Credibility

• MLK was documented—by his own writings—as denying the deity of Christ, the virgin birth, Jesus's resurrection, the existence of heaven and hell, and Christ's second coming.
  • "By his own admission, he rejected the deity of Christ. As early as age 12, he said that he shocked his Sunday school class by rejecting the virgin birth and the resurrection. And he never recanted from that." (07:28)
  • "Never once does he actually preach the gospel and call people to repentance. He's always..." (20:56)
• Raised in a church family, but convinced (by family) to become a pastor for social, not spiritual, reasons; noted for charisma, intellect, and mimicry of preaching style.

3. MLK, Marxism, and the "Social Gospel"

• Jackson traces MLK’s intellectual and theological roots—not just to the American church, but to European Marxist traditions ("Frankfurt School") and American proponents of the "social gospel."
• MLK’s education at Crozer Seminary and Boston University exposed him to faculty with Marxist and "social gospel" leanings.
  • "[MLK] was able to take that teaching in, make it his own, and it would be the launching pad of his career." (09:14)
• The "social gospel," as explained, emphasized societal, economic, and legislative activism over individual spiritual transformation.
  • “It's social justice with a Christian tinge. It's this idea of God came not to save individual souls, but rather he came to bring utopia on earth by way of politics.” (19:32)

4. Frankfurt School, Fabian Society & Ideological Infiltration

• The Frankfurt School and Fabian Society advocated patient, incremental societal change—a Marxist utopia achieved not through revolution, but gradual cultural capture.
  • “The Fabian Society... saw a slow, kind of incremental, kind of gradual entering into a Marxist utopia. They saw that it would take time by first taking hold of the institutions.” (11:24)
• MLK is described as synthesizing, Christianizing, and popularizing these ideals for American audiences, especially via the church.

5. Civil Rights Movement: Genuine Reform or Vehicle for Expanded Federal Power?

• Jackson claims the movement wasn’t simply a grassroots demand for equality, but a top-down approach used by both Communists and the federal government to expand central authority and destabilize state power.
  • “The civil rights movement was not this organic grassroots thing that started. It was started by the federal government...” (29:10)
  • MLK’s rhetoric and organization—particularly via connections with known Communist sympathizers—was part of this broader strategy.
• Jackson distinguishes genuine Southern black entrepreneurs and reformers (e.g., Booker T. Washington) from those pursuing statist or Marxist objectives.
  • “[Blacks] were trending upward from the end of slavery 'til the 1950s—irrespective of Jim Crow... Jim Crow was already falling off the books... before King ever even came onto the scene.” (44:36)

6. MLK’s Associations with Communists and Use of Deception

• MLK's top advisors (Stanley Levison, Bayard Rustin, others) cited as open Communists/Marxists.
  • “His number one handler was a man by the name of Stanley Levison, who was a financier for the Communists here in America. ...All of whom were either Marxist or were part of the Communist Party at some degree...” (26:33)
• Accused of lying about these associations and plagiarizing anti-Communist arguments.
  • “If you look at King's writings on denouncing communism... he plagiarized... Robert J. McCracken... Marxists are utilitarian. And what this means is lying is just a tool in the bucket for them...” (24:13, 25:55)

7. Events and Tactics: Violence, Dramatization, and Media

• Challenges the notion that MLK’s tactics were strictly nonviolent: claims movement relied on strategic provocation and dramatization for media.
  • “He would rely on violence to push his movement forward.” (55:46)
  • “They specifically chose these places [like Birmingham, Montgomery] because they knew the kind of picturesque imagery they would get.... they wanted to invite violence against themselves to get it caught on camera.” (54:26, 57:15)
• Offers examples similar to "recent" activism (e.g., BLM protests).

8. Moral Character: Can We Judge King?

• MLK’s character scrutinized for infidelity, dishonesty, and other private behaviors.
  • “He wasn't faithful to his wife. In fact, most cities that he went into, he would sleep with some woman that wasn't his wife. He was a participant in many orgies. He was a compulsive liar.” (59:46)
  • “Is this somebody who fits the moniker of the moral leader of the 20th century?” (60:57)

9. Challenging the MLK Legacy in Christian Circles

• Raises concern about perpetuating MLK’s legacy as a Christian unifier—suggesting the church failed to test his teaching and leadership as Scripture commands.
  • “The Bible says to test every spirit to see if it's of God. And we did a very poor job of that with Martin Luther King.” (61:25)
• Warns against building unity on figures other than Christ, invoking the Tower of Babel as an analogy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Chad O. Jackson (07:28):

  “By his own admission, he rejected the deity of Christ. As early as age 12, he said that he shocked his Sunday school class by rejecting the virgin birth and the resurrection. And he never recanted from that.”

• Allie Beth Stuckey (19:09):

  “But the social gospel specifically is saying that all of the things that you just listed, that that's the gospel, right? ... It's less about denying yourself and more becoming a political activist for the advancement of those political goals.”

• Chad O. Jackson (26:33):

  “His number one handler was a man by the name of Stanley Levison, who was a financier for the Communists here in America...He recruited a man by the name of James Jackson, who was an active member of the Communist Party...King knew all these things...But he denied having anything to do with Communism when the press would ask him about it.”

• Chad O. Jackson (44:36):

  “When you look at the work of people like Roland G. Fryer... you have this kind of upward trajectory... from the end of slavery till the 1950s... irrespective of Jim Crow... Jim Crow was already falling off the books as a result of this kind of plan that was put into action by the likes of Booker T. Washington.”

• Chad O. Jackson (59:46):

  "He wasn't faithful to his wife. In fact, most cities that he went into, he would sleep with some woman that wasn't his wife... He was a compulsive liar... You have to touch on this aspect of who he was because it begs the question of, is this somebody who fits the moniker of the moral leader of the 20th century?"

• Chad O. Jackson (62:41):

  “King is the only person who unifies the left and the right. If not for him... we're going to be at each other's throat... To me, I think that's a sad commentary... because why don't Christ occupy that place of unifying us?”

Important Timestamps

• 01:49 – Chad’s introduction and background
• 04:35 – Chad’s turn to investigating MLK and the Civil Rights era
• 07:26 – MLK’s rejection of Christian orthodoxy in his own words
• 10:08 – Explanation of the Frankfurt School and the “social gospel”
• 21:43 – Hegelian dialectics and MLK’s synthesis of ideologies
• 26:33 – MLK’s Communist connections and denials
• 29:10 – The Civil Rights movement as a vehicle for federal expansion
• 44:36 – Black upward mobility before Civil Rights era legislation
• 55:46 – MLK’s reliance on provocative tactics and orchestrated media
• 59:46 – MLK’s character: infidelity, dishonesty, “not fit to be a leader”
• 62:41 – Unity under Christ vs. unity under fallible men

Conclusion & Takeaway

The episode delivers a forceful challenge to conventional narratives of MLK, raising questions about his theological beliefs, associations, and the true drivers of the civil rights era. Jackson calls listeners to critically examine whom the church chooses to honor as heroes and ultimately urges a focus on Christ as the true foundation of unity.

For further information and to follow Chad Jackson's docuseries:
chadojackson.com (65:04)

Note: This episode contains strong historical, theological, and political assertions presented from a conservative Christian perspective. Listeners are encouraged to cross-reference claims as they consider the arguments.