Historians say King was far from revered as he pushed activism beyond race

Martin Luther King Jr. has certainly received his share of attention this year, the subject of a presidential campaign controversy over his legacy that blew up just around the time of the holiday created to honor the slain civil rights leader.

But nearly 40 years after his assassination in April 1968, after the deaths of his wife and of others who knew both the man and what he stood for, some say King is facing the same fate that has befallen many a historical figure — being frozen in a moment in time that ignores the full complexity of the man and his message.

While there has been scholarly study of King and everything he did, that knowledge has not translated into the popular culture perception of him and the civil rights movement, said Richard Greenwald, professor of history at Drew University.