One week ago today was the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death. In addition to being a leader of the civil rights movement, an anti-war activist, a tireless advocate of civil disobedience, and a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Dr. King was also a noted speaker and an impassioned writer. Despite the tragic occasion, it’s a good time to revisit some of King’s writings, listen to his speeches, or reflect on his life. Below are a few places where you can find more information on Martin Luther King, Jr.
The African American Experience: This is one of our databases that can be accessed either within the library or remotely. It contains full-text entries on notable African Americans and historical events. Look here to find basic encyclopedia articles about King’s life, or to read some of his more famous writings, such as his Letter from Birmingham Jail.
American Radio Works: Go to this site to listen to a radio documentary about the last year of King’s life.
American Rhetoric: This is a site that has mp3 files and the complete transcript of famous speeches. Three different King speeches show up on their list of the Top 100 Speeches, with I Have a Dream ranking at number 1.
Nobel Laureates: This link will take you to the list of Nobel Prize winners in all categories. You can sort the list by year, category, first name, or last name. Biographical information on all winners is available, or you can peruse the list of Nobel Peace Prize winners to see who won before and after King won the award in 1964.
At the library we quietly marked the occasion of King’s death by setting up a display of books in the second floor hallway, just outside the Reference Department. Come in, browse the display, and take some books home with you.
-Irene
Eleventh Stack 