On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

by Briana Albright,
LBPH Reader Advisor

On this day we commemorate Dr. King’s great dream of a vibrant, multiracial nation united in justice, peace and reconciliation; a nation that has a place at the table for children of every race and room at the inn for every needy child. We are called on this holiday, not merely to honor, but to celebrate the values of equality, tolerance and interracial sister and brotherhood he so compellingly expressed in his great dream for America.

from The Meaning of the King Holiday by Coretta Scott King

What, to you, is the meaning of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day? An opportunity to reflect on the values of nonviolence? A commemoration of the man who paid the ultimate price to achieve freedom for others? Historically, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day has been taken to represent a triumph over racial injustice; as articulated by New York Times blogger Chris Lebron, this represents an uncomfortable truth: “It is a triumph of acceptable minimums rather than full respect for those who continue to wait for Dr. King’s dream to become reality.” To celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in this way is a disservice – not just to Dr. King, but to the men and women of yesterday and today who have insisted on social justice, no matter the cost.

This MLK Day, I challenge you to critically analyze and interpret the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., not in the terms that others have created, but your own. Listen to his landmark speeches with A Call to Conscience (DB 62330) or his greatest sermons with A Knock at Midnight (DB 62329); learn about the history of the Civil Rights Movement with A Dream of Freedom: The Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968 (DB 60128); or read a contemporary account of racial injustice, such as The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man who Left Newark for the Ivy League (DB 80277).

Today, I challenge you to reflect, to think critically, and to question, because celebration and commemoration alone are not enough. If we hope to realize King’s great vision of a nation united in justice, peace, and reconciliation, we have work to do.

MLK Closing

LBPH Staff

A reminder that the library will be closed on Monday, January 20th in observation of Martin Luther King, Jr Day. We will resume regular hours on Tuesday, January 21st.

I Have a Dream…

by Tony Mareino,
LBPH Reader Advisor

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

These famous words were proclaimed fifty years ago this week, by perhaps one of the greatest orators this world has even known. The fact that he spoke to well to so many is only one of the man’s many exemplary defining traits. I speak of course of Martin Luther King, Jr. – Nobel Peace Prize recipient, the activist who organized the Montgomery Bus boycott, and one of the most iconic faces of not only the Civil Rights Movement but in American history. To learn more about the legacy of Martin Luther King, check out the titles listed below:

The Dream: Martin Luther King and the Speech That Inspired a Nation
by Drew D Hansen
DB 58666
Hansen’s essay on the meaning of the 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech describes King as a master of the art of black homiletics, whose gifts had been little known beyond the pulpit and the civil rights movement. Explores the oration’s spontaneity, language, prophetic vision, and public reaction. 2003.

Going Down Jericho Road: The Memphis Strike, Martin Luther King’s Last Campaign
by Michael K Honey
DB 66008
Chronicles the dramatic events in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968, concerning the sanitation workers’ strike for union rights that led to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Assesses the strikers’ impact on the civil rights movement. Includes oral histories of participants. 2007

A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King
by Martin Luther King, Jr.
DB 42395
Collects documents generally recognized as composed or presented by the 1960s American civil rights leader, who championed nonviolent tactics. Entries are grouped by genre: philosophy, sermons and public addresses, essays, interviews, and books. The table of content gives the date of each entry. Editor James M. Washington provides a general introduction and notes. 1986.