https://www.yahoo.com/news/interesting-history-real-name-martin-122644712.html It says he went on a pilgrimage to Germany and saw the German Nazis' treatment of the Jews and saw a similarity between Hitler and white segregationists in the US. He was inspired to fight racism but invoked the name of Martin Luther who was fighting the Catholic Church. I guess he didn't do enough research because Martin Luther was also Anti-Semitic like the Nazis.