Happy New Year, readers! Our first 2024 community spotlight honors preacher, writer, leader, and activist Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to whom this blissful day off is dedicated. Rather than a repetitive, cliché biographical article, we've compiled a short list of books, movies, and other media about Dr. King's life, work, and accomplishments.
1. Selma (2014)
This film from Ava DuVernay is probably the most well-known feature on this list. It's a historical drama about the 1965 Voting Rights March from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, led and organized by Dr. King (played by David Oyelowo). The film won the 2015 BET Best Film Award, and the song "Glory," written for the movie by Common and John Legend, won the 2015 Oscar for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures and the 2015 Golden Globe for Best Original Song - Motion Picture. It was also nominated for the 2015 Best Motion Picture Oscar.
2. The Radical King by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Frequently in mainstream media, Martin Luther King, Jr. is represented as the Christian, peaceful, liberal counterpart to the radical Malcolm X, but in his book The Radical King, he reveals his firm stance against capitalism and the subjugation of lower and working class Americans, stalwart fight for representative and equitable democracy, and other radical leftist views. It's essential reading to truly understand his platform and legacy as an activist, and though today may be filled with diluted quotes about love, light, and civil disobedience, the Radical King reveals the political and ideological sentiments that form the radical foundation for those more public beliefs. Fun Fact: the editor and author of the introduction, Cornel West, is a 2024 presidential candidate.
3. The MLK Tapes (A True Crime Podcast)
This podcast from iHeart Radio and Tenderfoot TV explores recordings of eyewitness testimonies of the events leading up to and immediately following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King on April 4, 1968.
There's no summary or synopsis we could write to truly do the show justice, so here's on from the official website:
According to the official story, on April 4th, 1968, a lone gunman assassinated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. That man, James Earl Ray, pled guilty and for most people the case was closed. The MLK Tapes, a new true crime podcast from the creators of Atlanta Monster and Monster: DC Sniper, explores rare recordings of eye-witness testimony and new interviews with people who were there to reveal the true story of the plot to kill Dr. King.
The podcast is available on all major streaming platforms.
4. We Are The Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest (2020)
This 2020 HBO documentary follows the young competitors of the 40th annual Oakland, California MLK Oratorical Festival. Students from pre-K through 12th grade from the Oakland Unified School District participate in this public speaking competition, performing memorized works as groups or individuals in one of four categories: original poetry & essays, individual poetry, famous speeches and essays, choral speaking and dramatic skits. Their works and performances draw inspiration from the life and work of Dr. King and beautifully show the depth and endurance of his impact and legacy. The film, executive produced by Mahershala Ali, won the 2020 Emmy award for Outstanding Children's Program.
5. Our Friend, Martin (1999)
Any MLK day would be incomplete without this classic animated Elementary school movie about the life and legacy of Dr. King. For those of our readers who need a refresher, Our Friend, Martin follows Miles Woodman, a Black student at Martin Luther King Middle School, and his white best friend Randy, who travel through time during a few fateful visits to King's childhood home, now turned into a museum, and go through the events of Martin's life. When their actions alter the timeline and get Martin assassinated at the March on Washington, they pull 12-year-old Martin into their time, which has catastrophic consequences. Fulfilled by an all-star cast, including James Earl Jones, Angela Bassett, Danny Glover, Samuel L. Jackson, and Oprah Winfrey, this movie showed the importance and impact of Dr. King's role in the Civil Rights Movement in a digestible and family-friendly way.
For more active people, MLK day is a perfect opportunity to visit the King Center and Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. The Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee offers free admission in celebration of the holiday. Today is also designated as a national day of service, and the AJC compiled a list of volunteer opportunities to help you continue King's legacy of community service and leadership. However you choose to spend today, we at BVB hope you commemorate and celebrate one of the forefathers of Black civil disobedience and liberty in any way possible.
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