Virtual Galleries- Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Martin Luther King, Jr.

"At the age of 26, Martin Luther King, Jr. took up the leadership role that would fill the rest of his life. He furthered the stubborn determination of black Americans to break down the limits of a racist society. His strategy of nonviolent protest brought passage of far–reaching federal legislation that undermined southern efforts to enforce segregation through local laws. His vision of a just and equal society where race would be transcended fired the imagination of many Americans." More...

Source: Notable Black American Men. Gale Research, 1998.

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"We've got some difficult days ahead," civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., told a crowd gathered at Memphis's Clayborn Temple on April 3, 1968, in a speech now collected in The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr. "But it really doesn't matter to me now," he continued, "because I've been to the mountaintop. . . . And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land." More...

Source: Contemporary Authors Online. The Gale Group, 2001.

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"I Have a Dream Speech"
(excerpt)

"And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

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.

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."

(The speech was delivered on August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.)

View full text, audio, and video of the speech from American Rhetoric.

Listen to other speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Smithsonian Global Sound Music Library.

Library Resources

African American Song is the first online resource to document the history of African American music in an online music listening service.

Look for more biographical information on Martin Luther King, Jr. with Biography Resource Center.

Do you want to be a great leader like Martin Luther King, Jr., a teacher or a doctor? Find out how with Ferguson's Career Guidance Center.

Kids and Teens

Library Materials

Books for Kids

Check out our KidsConnect Martin Luther King, Jr. reading list.

Online Resources

Infotrac Kids Edition
This is a fun and easy database for elementary students to find historical events and people.

Novelist
Search this reader’s advisory for fiction and non-fiction titles about Martin Luther King, Jr. Titles are available for all ages.

Other Web Sites

Scholastic
This Web site is a great place to find info on Martin Luther King, Jr. and ways to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Enchanted Learning

Children’s educational Web site which is designed to capture the imagination while maximizing creativity, learning, and enjoyment. Plenty of activities and crafts too!

Take the Martin Luther King, Jr. Quiz

Find the answers to these questions:

(Answers located on bottom of page)

1. What is the name of the church where both Martin Luther King, Jr.’s father and grandfather were pastors?

2. In April of 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders initiated a nonviolent protest campaign to desegregate public facilities in what city?

3. Where did Martin Luther King, Jr. deliver his speech, The Purpose of Education, in 1948?

4. Match the phases/points in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s career to their correct years:

__ Founder, S.C.L.C.	A. 1957
__ Pastor, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church	B. 1964
__ Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize	C. 1954

5. In what year did Congress approve creation of "King Day"?

Library Material

Web Sites

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., A Biographical Sketch

From Louisiana State University.

The King Center
Dedicated to advancing the memorial of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963
Courtesy of The King Center, Atlanta, Georgia.

Martin Luther King, Jr.– Biography
Nobel Prize Organization’s biography on Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Biography, timeline, quotes, and more on Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.

Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement
From the Seattle Times.

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site
From the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of Interior.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Paper Project
An extensive directory of resources from Stanford University.

The Meaning of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
An essay by Coretta Scott King.

Build the Dream

Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.