You're making my point for me: "his" was the *traditional* generic, but the women's movement was challenging that by the late '60s, and within the next decade it was losing ground to more egalitarian alternatives. ("Mankind" was losing ground to "humankind" and other alternatives during the same period.) Avoiding he/his/him as generic is not, IOW, "the latest whim." P.S. I did not say I "chose to believe that Reverend King wanted to be called a hero." I offered that as a possibility. I have no idea what Dr. King was thinking at the time. Please read for comprehension, OK?