Why did Martin Luther King quote the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 1

The Declaration of Independence contains a very significant assertion, which isthat all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. The founding document of America contains a statement which perfectly expresses the central concept of the Civil Rights Movement, and thereby legitimizes it. Of course, if we were to make such a statement today, in the 21st century, we would update it to say that all people are created equal, rather than just all men. Women also matter.