Fifty years ago this month, Martin Luther King Jr. drafted a letter from a cramped cell in Birmingham, Alabama. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Jonathan Rieder says in his new book, “Gospel of Freedom,” reveals a more complex King, tough and tender, in equal measure. Rieder’s narrative reflects a major shift in the way many [...]
After 50 Years, ‘Letter From Birmingham Jail’ Reveals King’s Message Not Far From Malcolm’s
April 22, 2013 | Posted by
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebrated on the 45th anniversary of his Death
April 3, 2013 | Posted by
Some of the sanitation workers who went on strike in Memphis in 1968 – the labor action that drew Martin Luther King Jr. to the site of his assassination – will join in events this week commemorating the 45th anniversary of the civil right leader’s death. A half-dozen of them are still on the job. [...]
Obama Inauguration: Smaller Crowd, Two Bibles, Watchful Daughters
January 21, 2013 | Posted by
When President Obama takes the oath of office today, it will be the fourth time he will have pledged to protect the Constitution — the only president aside from Franklin Roosevelt to say it four times. But while Roosevelt said it four times because he was elected four times, Obama had special circumstances after both [...]
Among Blacks, Pride Is Mixed With Expectations for President Obama
January 21, 2013 | Posted by
Entering his second term during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, President Obama is viewed by many as symbol of the equality that King and his colleagues struggled for during the Civil Rights Movement. However, as the nation’s president, Obama’s duties call for him to serve the interests of the majority in many cases, leaving [...]
Civil Rights Icon Says Childhood Lessons Guided Integration Fight
January 18, 2013 | Posted by
When civil rights icon Terrence J. Roberts was a first grader at an all-black school in Little Rock, Ark., his teacher instilled in him a lesson that became a motto for his life. “A teacher told me, along with all of my classmates, ‘you kids have to take on an executive responsibility for your own [...]
Dr. King and The Freedom Budget: A Vision of Economic Opportunity
January 17, 2013 | Posted by
One of the most powerful aspects of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy is his work in economic justice and poverty. Though the landmark rally in 1963 during which King delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech is now widely known as “The March on Washington,” the complete title of that event was “The March on Washington for [...]
Lee Daniels Casts Hugh Jackman in MLK Assassination Film — ‘Orders to Kill’
August 2, 2012 | Posted by
Director Lee Daniels has cast Hugh Jackman to star in Orders to Kill, a film centered around the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. After Precious became a hit, Lee Daniels ended up looking into dual true-story films with civil rights interests. The first, Selma, lined up an impressive cast (Hugh Jackman, Liam Neeson, [...]
John Conyers Facing Toughest Re-election in Newly Redrawn Congressional District
June 5, 2012 | Posted by
Congressional incumbents typically have a big advantage come election time. But the second-most senior member of the U.S. House — Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich. — faces a newly redrawn congressional district and the toughest re-election campaign of his political career. After serving Detroit for 24 consecutive terms, Conyers has to woo a new constituency — [...]
