Explore these books as you celebrate and reflect on the legacy and life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The books on this curated list exemplify this year's MLK Week theme,"Learning to Action, Movement Toward Just Communities."
“Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto” by Tricia Hersey
Highly recommend, this book by theologian, minister and chaplain Tricia Hersey. Hersey incorporates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy of dignity and justice into her positioning about grind culture. Hersey is best known as the founder of The Nap Ministry (@thenapministry) organization.
“Living the Dream : The Contested History of Martin Luther King Jr. Day” by Daniel T. Fleming
An excellent study from an Australian historian on how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and MLK Day have come to be memorialized by Americans.
“The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song” by Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Both a wonderful book and a documentary, Henry Louis Gates’ work shows the role of the Black church in a world of White injustice and brutality and it’s instrumentality in establishing a place of liberation and hope.
“The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation” by Anna M. Tubbs
A compelling history that brings much needed attention to not only the role of mothers in society, but also the impact of Black women on American life.
“My Soul Looks Back” by James Cone
Influenced by Martin Luther King Jr. as a young boy, James Cone seeks to answer the question of the origin, value structures and crucial role of the Black church within the dehumanizing system of White supremacy.
