Martin Luther King Jr.'s words of unity and truth transcend how they are often twisted

More than half a century after an assassin's bullet silenced him, and 35 years after the nation began observing a federal holiday in his honor, Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy still resonate.

As the preeminent voice of the civil rights movement, King's eloquence and vision for a united America made him an icon. His powerful words – delivered through sermons, speeches and books – symbolize a utopia to which our nation always aspires.

Few people in history have been quoted more than King. His message of equality and unity are often summoned in times of confusion, chaos and racial strife, though his words are often taken out of their original context.

Lately, Republicans have quoted King to advance their positions. Last week, a Republican lawmaker quoted King to defend President Donald Trump during his impeachment hearing, which followed the Capitol Hill riot Jan. 6 by an angry mob Trump is accused of stirring up to dispute the results of the election in November. Two years ago, Vice President Mike Pence defended Trump's quest for a border wall by way of King's words.

President Ronald Reagan signed the King holiday bill in 1983. But in 1986, shortly before the first observance of the holiday, he used King's words to oppose minority hiring goals.

Clayborne Carson, who directs the King Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, said it isn't surprising that people quote King for "all kinds of purposes."

"Attributing to a great figure like that gives the words a lot more weight, so I think it's always going to be true that King is always going to be a source of a lot of quotes even by people who, if they had been alive when he was alive, would probably be opposing him," Carson said.