@Knight of Nothing: “I think you ought to review the history of civil rights. I don’t recall “shame, abuse and scorn” as being the main themes in these narratives.”
This is bullshit, at least insomuch as it being the reason people stopped hurling epithets (and bullets) at black people – (just to remind you, MLK was shot in the head). The thing that stopped people from screaming the n-word was when it finally became socially unbearable to do so.
People are essentially vile. Bigots especially, so. The only way someone rises above that is work, and at least a third of the population of the globe has absolutely no interest in doing so. If you think MLK inspired these people to change their views, you are being naive. They never did, never will. At some point, they simply realized that the only way they could continue to function in society is to shut the hell up.
