Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Photo by Brian Kraus on Unsplash

Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday January 20, 2020 and the library will be closed. King delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream Speech” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial August 28, 1963. You can listen to the speech in its entirety here through NPR. 

King created a legacy of empowerment, hope and passion. He was a renowned public speaker which helped him inspire millions and continues to encourage people to fervently pursue equality and justice. Tarleton Libraries has the resources to help you hone your public speaking skills. Find available resources here 

King was born in Atlanta, GA in 1929. He was a Christian minister, activist, and a charismatic speaker. To learn more about his life and leading role in the Civil Rights Movement check out some of the biographies listed below 

The library also has a subject guide dedicated to African American culture, history and resources. 

Martin Luther King Jr., By Marshall Frady

E185.97 .K5 F695 2002B c.1 

 Martin Luther King Jr., by Peter J. Ling

 E185.97 .K5 L55 2002 c.1

Martin Luther King Jr. his life, martyrdom, and meaning forthe world, by William Robert Miller

 E185.97 .K5 M5 c.1

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr. 1964
Nobel Foundation [Public domain]
via Wikimedia Commons

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (also known as MLK Day) is a federal holiday commemorating the life and works of Martin Luther King Jr. It is held on the 3rd Monday of January each year, which falls on or near King's birthday of January 15th. 

The push to make this a national holiday was contentious. The first bill was introduced in the US House of Representatives in 1968, just four days after King's assassination. However, it was not brought up for a full vote of the House until 1979, where it lost by 5 votes. The bill finally became law in 1983, and the first MLK Day was celebrated in 1986. 

Tarleton's Dick Smith Library has a wealth of resources by and about Martin Luther King Jr. such as these titles: 

King at the March on Washington in 1963,
where he gave his famous "I Have a Dream Speech."
 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. 
The Radical King
A Lasting Prophetic Legacy
Waking from the Dream
Misremembering Dr. King
Selma to Saigon
Extremist for Love
The Speech
The King Years
Martin's Dream
The Awful Grace of God
Behind the Dream
Hellhound on His Trail
The Trumpet of Conscience
Where Do We Go from Here? 

MLK Day Resources

I hope you all enjoyed your MLK Day holiday yesterday! If this inspired you to learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr. here are some resources to get you started. For more resources, in addition to the ones below, try searching Discovery@Tarleton for "martin luther king jr". 

Martin Luther King, by Godfrey Hodgson. Published by University of Michigan Press, 2010.

    

The Radical King, by Martin Luther King, Jr., edited and compiled by Cornel West. Published by Beacon Press, 2015.

My Brother Martin, by Christine King Farris. Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2003

A Child Shall Lead them: Martin Luther King, Jr., Young People and the Movement, by Rufus Burrow, Jr. Published by Fortress Press, 2014

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Encyclopedia. Published by Greenwood Press, 2008