Along with other civil rights leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. helped lead a movement that changed America. Dr. King’s historic fight for equal rights continues to inspire and influence today–his words and actions are echoed in our ongoing fight for racial justice and equality. To explore more about Dr. King’s life and work, this post highlights just a small sampling of resources found in our collection and on the web about King’s life and legacy. We also provide tips for continuing your research.

Beginning Your Research

You can find far more resources by browsing our collections online – here are a few ways to get started:

• Search the library catalog using the subject term: “King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968.” You can also choose to limit your search to a particular campus library, or to e-resources only, by selecting a location in the “Library” dropdown menu (see screenshot below).
• Another option is to use OneSearch, which will help you find a wider variety of types of content. Simply type “Martin Luther King” (or any other keywords relevant to you) into the single search bar. Once on the results page, use the filtering option on the lefthand side to refine your search (see screenshot below or watch a tutorial video).
• Our African American Studies research guide is also a great place to find recommended resources including books, databases, and primary sources.

Outside of the library’s offerings, we also recommend visiting these web resources:

• The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, founded by Coretta Scott King.
• The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, which includes the King Papers Project and the King Encyclopedia.
• Black Past, an extensive online reference center for black history including an encyclopedia, genealogy, primary documents, and bibliographies.

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Note: Some resources included below will require your Fordham AccessIT ID in order to gain access.

Print Books:

• April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King, Jr’s Death And How It Changed America by Michael Eric Dyson
• A Call To Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. edited by Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard
• King And The Other America: The Poor People’s Campaign And The Quest For Economic Equality by Sylvie Laurent
• Martin’s Dream: My Journey And The Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by Clayborne Carson
• The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Volumes 1-7 by Martin Luther King, Jr.
• I May Not Get There With You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr. by Michael Eric Dyson
• Redemption: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Last 31 Hours by Joseph Rosebloom

E-Books:

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And the Poor People’s Campaign of 1968 by Robert Hamilton
• Gospel of Freedom: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter From Birmingham Jail and the Struggle That Changed a Nation by Jonathan Rieder
• Killing King: Racial Terrorists, James Earl Ray, and the Plot to Assassinate Martin Luther King Jr. by Stuart Wexler and Larry Hancock
• Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Theology of Resistance by Rufus Burrow
• The Seminarian: Martin Luther King Jr. Comes of Age by Patrick Parr
• Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Videos:

•  “Freedom is a Constant Struggle”
  Freely available on YouTube
  • On January 23, 2019 the University of New England hosted a lecture from world-renowned political activist, academic and author Angela Davis as part of its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

• “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” 
  Freely available on YouTube
  • The full audio recording of King’s final public speech in Memphis, TN, on April 3, 1968 – the day before he was assassinated. The transcript of this speech is available from the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute at Stanford University.

• “I Have a Dream”
  Freely available on YouTube
  • King’s most well-known speech, delivered at the March on Washington on August 28th, 1963, to an audience of over 250,000. The transcript of this speech is available from the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute at Stanford University.

• David Susskind Archive: Interview with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
  Streaming via Alexander Street Press
  • This interview between David Susskind and King originally aired on June 19, 1963 by WPIX-TV New York. They cover topics such as the civil rights movement and recent events in Birmingham, AL.

• Philip Randolph: Introducing Martin Luther King at Lincoln Memorial
  Streaming via Alexander Street Press
  • This short clip shows an excerpt of Philip Randolph’s speech as he introduces Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th, 1963. This preceded King’s most famous speech: “I Have a Dream.”

• Universal Newsreels: August 29, 1963
  Streaming via Alexander Street Press
  • A newsreel from 1963 that shows footage from the March on Washington.

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Interviewed for NBC News, on May 8th, 1967
  Freely available on YouTube
  • Sander Vancour interviewed King about the civil rights struggle at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia just one year before his death.

• Malcolm X: Excerpt from Interview with Louis Lomax
  Streaming via Alexander Street Press
  • In this interview from 1964, Malcolm X discusses his philosophy and thoughts on King’s emphasis on nonviolence.

Films:

• Death in Memphis: The Mysterious Assassination of Martin Luther King
  Streaming via Alexander Street Press
  • This documentary, released in 2010, examines the circumstances surrounding the murder of MLK on April 4th, 1968 and addresses remaining questions about the case.

• I Am Not Your Negro: James Baldwin and Race in America
  Streaming via Kanopy
  • An examination of institutionalized racism in America, this 2016 documentary was inspired by James Baldwin and a book he never had the chance to write. Baldwin intended to write about his friendship with three civil rights leaders, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr., and the connections between their assassinations.

• Interview with Clayborne Carson, Part 1 of 4
  Streaming via Alexander Street Press
  • Clayborne Carson is the Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. Carson is also the author of multiple books about MLK.This 2017 interview is part of the American Experience: Freedom Riders series, which features civil rights activists who worked alongside MLK in the fight for racial equality.

• 4 Little Girls
  Streaming via Swank Motion Pictures
  • This 1997 documentary by Spike Lee looks at the racially motivated 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, which killed four black children in Birmingham, Alabama, on September 15th, 1963. The church was often used as a meeting place by MLK, who also attended their funerals. In his Letter From Birmingham Jail, King had previously stated that Birmingham was “probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States.”

• King: Montgomery to Memphis
  Freely available via the Internet Archive
  • This 1978 documentary is composed of real archival footage that tells the story of MLK’s life and impact on the civil rights movement.

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