Dr. King: Honoring His Legacy

As we approach Martin Luther King Day, I feel that celebrating the life and work of Dr. King has never been more important than it is right now. The facts of Dr. King's life are well known: his leadership in the Civil Rights Movement, his advocacy of non-violence, and his unfortunate assassination on April 4, 1968. I hope that as we continue to honor Dr. King's life we each dedicate ourselves to fulfilling his vision.

While paper and ink cannot capture his voice, here are some books that give insight into the man, his life and his legacy.

I See the Promised Land is a graphic narrative of Dr. King's story. I love the collaboration between Manu Chitrakar's art and Arthur Flowers minimal and almost musical prose.

Marching to the Mountaintop examines Dr. King's participation in the sanitation worker strikes in Memphis, TN. I really like the way this book shows the myriad of events that were all interconnected and how they led to Dr. King's famous speech and untimely death.

While remembering Dr. King's life, it is also important to remember that young people participated in the Civil Rights Movement, too. Because They Marched by Russell Freedman looks at the participation of youth in the march for voting rights in Alabama. If you enjoyed the movie Selma, this book is for you.