As you all know, yesterday (January 15th) was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In celebration of this momentous holiday, below are ten books to read on his life and the Civil Rights Movement.
1. A Long Time Coming : a lyrical biography of race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama by Ray Anthony Shephard: This YA biography-in-verse of six important Black Americans from different eras, including Ona Judge, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barack Obama, chronicles the diverse ways each fought racism and shows how much--and how little--has changed for Black Americans since our country's founding.
2. And We Rise : the Civil Rights Movement in poems by Erica Martin: This debut poetry collection walks readers through the Civil Rights Movement, introducing lesser-known figures and moments just as crucial to the Movement and our nation’s centuries-long fight for justice and equality.
3. Dear Martin by Nic Stone: Profiled by a racist police officer in spite of his excellent academic achievements and Ivy League acceptance, a disgruntled college youth navigates the prejudices of new classmates and his crush on a white girl by writing a journal to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in the hopes that his iconic role model's teachings will be applicable half a century later
4. Freedom Summer for Young People : the violent season that made Mississippi burn and made America a democracy by Bruce Watson: In the summer of 1964, as the Civil Rights movement boiled over, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) sent more than seven hundred college students to Mississippi to help black Americans already battling for democracy, their dignity and the right to vote. The campaign was called “Freedom Summer.” But on the evening after volunteers arrived, three young civil rights workers went missing, presumed victims of the Ku Klux Klan. The disappearance focused America’s attention on Mississippi. In the days and weeks that followed, volunteers and local black activists faced intimidation, threats, and violence from white people who didn't believe African Americans should have the right to vote. As the summer unfolded, volunteers were arrested or beaten. Black churches were burned. More Americans came to Mississippi, including doctors, clergymen, and Martin Luther King. A few frightened volunteers went home, but the rest stayed on in Mississippi, teaching in Freedom Schools, registering voters, and living with black people as equals.
5. March: Book One by John Lewis: A first-hand account of the author's lifelong struggle for civil and human rights spans his youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., and the birth of the Nashville Student Movement.
6. More Than a Dream : The Radical March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom by Yohuru Williams: Using Black newspaper reports from the period as a primary resource, this riveting book recounts the groundbreaking 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom during which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, which still resonates to this day.
7. My Selma : true stories of a Southern childhood at the height of the Civil Rights Movement by Willie Mae Brown: Combining family stories of the everyday and the extraordinary as seen through the eyes of her 12-year-old self, Willie Mae Brown offers readers an unforgettable portrayal of her coming-of-age in the fractured town of Selma, Alabama, at the crossroads of history during the Civil Rights Movement.
8. Pauli Murray : the life of a pioneering feminist and civil rights activist by Rosita Stevens-Holsey: Written in verse, this inspiring biography chronicles the life of a queer civil and women's rights activist who fought for many of the rights taken for granted today, working tirelessly for human rights and the dignity of life for all.
9. The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks : adapted for young people by Jeanne Theoharis: This definitive biography of Rosa Parks accessibly examines her six decades of activism, challenging young readers perceptions of her as an accidental actor in the Civil Rights Movement.
10. Troublemaker for Justice : the story of Bayard Rustin, the man behind the March on Washington by Jacqueline Houtman: Recounts the life and accomplishments of Bayard Rustin, focusing on his nonviolent protest methods and his organization of the March on Washington in 1963.
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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