Martin Luther King Jr. was a great man. He was a hero to some and regarded as the father of the civil rights movement. According to reports he was also a habitual cheater. No one knows for sure if King actually ever cheated on his wife and his wife denied ever being aware of any affairs he may or may not have indulged in. This of course is not stopping the internet from spreading the allegations. When someone is remembered for greatness, people also seem eager to drag old dirt into the light.

In King’s defense, any time a great man, especially a great Black man, is accomplishing something in this world he is faced with attacks of some kind. The question it launches is whether or not a man who possesses such greatness should get a pass if he cheats? If you are a woman who is romantically involved with a man who is great, should you assume that he will one day cheat on you? Sometimes the issue is not just the cheating itself

What is greatness? Greatness could be defined in many ways and depends upon the woman’s perspective. For some a great man could be a rapper, actor, preacher or even a community leader. A man that goes to work every day and brings home the big dollars and pays bills could also be viewed as being great. I have seen woman straight act a fool over a guy who works for the city. To them, he was great. That is why one woman’s definition of greatness may look like nothing special to another.

Does a woman’s acceptance of cheating depend upon the quality of the man? Should she prepare herself for the chance that other women will see this greatness as well and want a piece of him? Should she be more willing to accept cheating from a great man versus a regular Joe? Honestly, I can’t say whether I would be willing to leave a great man like MLK if I was his wife and he cheated on me. Then again, I do not know how I would react.