Monday, January 16, 2012

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the United States




Wherever freedom and the right to exercise it are honored, so will the memory of the great Martin Luther King, Jr., who was born on January 15, 1929, and was cruelly assassinated on April 4, 1968.   He followed the nonviolent example of Mahatma Ghandi, and, like him, ironically died a violent death.

Sadly, not every employer in the U.S. chooses to honor the memory of this unforgettable leader of the civil rights movement, which drew its strength largely from this one man.  Dr. King's famous speech, "I Have a Dream", which he delivered at the 1963 Washington, D.C. Civil Rights March, rallied every citizen who truly believed in racial equality.

Dr. King's stirring speeches have been gathered into several books, one of which I have listed here.  I have also included his 'autobiography', which was actually compiled from several sources, as well as a book of reflections on the principles of nonviolence, titled Strength to Love.





edited by Clayborn Carson
Trade Paperback, 366 pages
Warner Books
January 1, 2001
(first published 2001)
Genre: Autobiography, Non-Fiction


From the Goodreads Synopsis


Using Stanford University's voluminous collection of archival material, including previously unpublished writings, interviews, recordings, and correspondence, King scholar Clayborne Carson has constructed a remarkable first-person account of Dr. King's extraordinary life.





Martin Luther King, Jr.
Augsburg Fortress Publishers
May 28, 1981
(first published 1963)
Genre: Inspirational, Non-Fiction


From the Goodreads Synopsis

The remarkable courage and deep conviction of Martin Luther King Jr. live on in this classic prophetic text, a veritable primer in the principles and practice of nonviolence. Despite nearly fifty years since its publication, Strength to Love reads as pertinently to our situation as it did in the midst of the civil rights movement.





The Essential Writings and Speeches
of Martin Luther King, Jr.
edited by James M. Washington
Trade Paperback, 736 pages
HarperSanFrancisco
December 7, 1990
(first published 1986)


From the Goodreads Synopsis

Here, in the only major one-volume collection of his writings, speeches, interviews, and autobiographical reflections, is Martin Luther King Jr. on non-violence, social policy, integration, black nationalism, the ethics of love and hope, and more.



For further information on Dr. King, please visit:






 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

2 comments:

  1. A truly remarkable man - so dignified and courageous.

    ReplyDelete
  2. From what info I know about King (the US civil rights movement is an under-discussed topic in the UK) he was a truly inspirational figure and a man to be forever admired for his contribution for equality. Thanks for the book links!

    ReplyDelete

THIS IS NOW AN AWARD-FREE, AND TAG-FREE BLOG. Thanks for the compliment, though! : )

As of today, 9/23/18, I have permanently enabled comment moderation, due to a sudden rash of SPAM comments. I appreciate your patience!

Thanks for your thoughts on my posts! I always reply here, as well as comment back on your blog. Have a WONDERFUL day!! :)