Wherever freedom and the right to exercise it are honored, so will be 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Using Stanford University's voluminous collection of archival material, including previously unpublished writings, interviews, recordings, and correspondence, King scholar Clayborne Carson has constructed a remarkable first-person account of Dr.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:
I love this man and his philosophy about life. I have listened to his speeches and I'll definitely like to read this book. This is a kind of book that I'll like to pass on to my younger generation.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, definitely one of the main people of the twentieth century
ReplyDeleteHi, Nekky!
ReplyDeleteOh, MLK was most DEFINITELY a GREAT man, and it's so sad that he was killed the way he was...but the same thing happened to Ghandi. Why, I wonder, does humanity always kill those who are seeking social justice?
The post is actually longer. If you click on "Read more", you'll see that there are two more books mentioned.
Thanks for coming by and commenting!! :)
Hi, Leovi!
ReplyDeleteThis man was indeed one of the greatest in the last century! I hope you opened up the post and saw the other two books. You have to click on "Read more" at the bottom of the post.
Thanks for coming by and commenting!! :)
I am glad that you put this up today!
ReplyDeleteI really have been meaning to read a biography of King and I really need to do so sooner rather then later.
Reading his speeches sounds to be a great idea too!
Hey, Brian!
ReplyDeleteWe need to acknowledge that King was a great man who championed justice for African-Americans, who had been mistreated for years! His speeches, I'm sure, are very inspirational. I have to read them, too. Thanks for commenting!! :)