Clemson Libraries celebrates the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day holiday on January 17th, 2022. Established to honor the life of Baptist minister, civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) and his role in ending segregation and the racial justice movement in America, the holiday is observed on the third Monday of January, around the time of King’s birthday on January 15th. MLK Day began as a holiday in many American cities and states during the 1970s. Championed by labor unions, civil rights activists and other groups, it became a national holiday in 1983 and a day of service in 1994. Commemoration of MLK Day at Clemson began with student groups in 1982, and evolved into marches, services and other events over time. Clemson Libraries invites you to learn more about the holiday, along with the extraordinary life of Dr. King and through works in our collections, such as:
Happy birthday, Martin Luther King (1993) An illustrated picture book that makes the story of Dr. King and his holiday accessible to children ages 3-6.
A place to land : Martin Luther King Jr. and the speech that inspired a nation (2019) Filled with beautiful illustrations and lyrical prose, A Place to Land shares the story of Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech in a child-friendly manner. This book has won numerous awards, including the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children.
Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-63 (1988) Pulitzer award winning biography of events in King’s life leading up to the March on Washington.
In the spirit of Martin : the living legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2002) is a companion book to the first museum exhibition on Dr. King, opened in January 2002 at the Smithsonian Institution. This richly illustrated, large-format book features the work of more than 150 important African American artists as well as other prominent traditional and visionary artists.
The Seminarian: Martin Luther King Jr. Comes of Age (2018) Chronicling his experiences at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, The Seminarian offers a glimpse into King’s life before he rose to fame as a Civil Rights Activist.