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Friday Reads: Martin Luther King, Jr.

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On Monday, January 18, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. This year, the holiday is in the same week as the Presidential Inauguration. As ever, MLK Day celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. It’s a time to commemorate the timeless values Dr. King exemplified – courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service – as well as the forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his leadership. It’s especially important for the young to learn about Dr. King’s character and contributions and the power of words. We recommend the books herein for education and inspiration for all ages.

Visit The King Center’s site here for more information.

 

Why We Can't Wait by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.WHY WE CAN’T WAIT by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Afterword by Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.

Martin Luther King’s classic exploration of the events and forces behind the Civil Rights Movement—including his Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963.

 

 

 

Strength to Love by Martin Luther King, Jr.STRENGTH TO LOVE: SERMONS FROM STRENGTH TO LOVE AND OTHER PREACHINGS by Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King

The classic collection of Dr. King’s sermons that fuse his Christian teachings with his radical ideas of love and nonviolence as a means to combat hate and oppression.

 

 

"In a Single Garment of Destiny" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.“IN A SINGLE GARMENT OF DESTINY”: A GLOBAL VISION OF JUSTICE by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Too many people continue to think of Dr. King only as “a southern civil rights leader” or “an American Gandhi,” thus ignoring his impact on poor and oppressed people around the world. “In a Single Garment of Destiny” is the first book to treat King’s positions on global liberation struggles through the prism of his own words and activities.

Part of The King Legacy series which encompasses Dr. King’s most important writings, including sermons, orations, lectures, and prayers.

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. by Marshall FradyMARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: A LIFE by Marshall Frady

Marshall Frady, the reporter who became the unofficial chronicler of the civil rights movement, here re-creates the life and turbulent times of its inspirational leader. Deftly interweaving the story of King’s quest with a history of the African American struggle for equality, Frady offers fascinating insights into his subject’s magnetic character, with its mixture of piety and ambition. He explores the complexities of King’s relationships with other civil rights leaders, the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and the FBI’s J. Edgar Hoover, who conducted a relentless vendetta against him. The result is a biography that conveys not just the facts of King’s life but the power of his legacy.

 

Daddy King by Martin Luther King Sr.DADDY KING: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY by Martin Luther King Sr.

From coming of age under poverty and the looming threat of racial violence to preaching from the Ebenezer pulpit for forty years, King, Sr., candidly reveals his life inside the civil rights movement, illustrating the profound influence he had on his son.

 

 

Redemption by Joseph RosenbloomREDEMPTION: MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.’S LAST 31 HOURS by Joseph Rosenbloom

An “immersive, humanizing, and demystifying” (Charles Blow, New York Times) look at the final hours of Dr. King’s life as he seeks to revive the non-violent civil rights movement and push to end poverty in America. Redemption draws on dozens of interviews by the author with people who were immersed in the Memphis events, features recently released documents from Atlanta archives, and includes compelling photos. Also revealed is what his assassin, James Earl Ray, was doing in Memphis during the same time and how a series of extraordinary breaks enabled Ray to construct a sniper’s nest and shoot King.

 

FOR YOUNGER READERS

 

Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?: A Who Was? Board Book by Lisbeth Kaiser and Who HQWHO WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.?: A BOARD BOOK by Lisbeth Kaiser, Stanley Chow (Illustrated by), Who HQ

The chronology and themes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s meaningful life are presented in a masterfully succinct text, with just a few sentences per page. The fresh, stylized illustrations are sure to captivate young readers and adults alike. With a read-aloud biographical summary in the back, this age-appropriate introduction honors and shares the life and work of one of the most influential civil rights activists of our time.

 

Dear Martin by Nic StoneDEAR MARTIN by Nic Stone

Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

 

Good Night Martin Luther King Jr. by Adam Gamble and Mark JasperGOOD NIGHT MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. by Adam Gamble, Mark Jasper, Julissa Mora (Illustrated by)

Good Night Martin Luther King Jr. features the iconic Civil Rights leader’s childhood, education, family members, and leadership, the Great March on Washington, speeches, peaceful protests, Rosa Parks and the bus boycott, winning the Nobel Peace Prize, and more. This educational board book teaches young readers about one of the most important leaders of our times.

 

Trailblazers: Martin Luther King, Jr. by Christine PlattTRAILBLAZERS: MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: FIGHTING FOR CIVIL RIGHTS by Christine Platt

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to more than 250,000 people in Washington, DC about his dream of racial equality. His message of peaceful protest inspired a generation to stand up for their rights. Find out how a boy who was not allowed to go to school or the movies with white people blazed a trail in civil rights.

 

Voices from the March on Washington by George Ella Lyon and J. Patrick LewisVOICES FROM THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON by George Ella Lyon; J. Patrick Lewis

The powerful poems in this poignant collection weave together multiple voices to tell the story of the March on Washington, DC, in 1963.

 

 

My Dream of Martin Luther King by Faith RinggoldMY DREAM OF MARTIN LUTHER KING by Faith Ringgold

Now in Dragonfly–from the acclaimed creator of the Caldecott Honor Book Tar Beach comes a personal and captivating portrait of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

 

For more information on these and related titles visit MLKJR


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Posted: January 15, 2021