As we recognize the life and legacy of American civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this month and over the days of the U's MLK Week 2026 (Jan. 17-22, 2026), we have curated a list of six books that could enrich your experience and expand your knowledge of the civil rights movement.
"A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr."
Edited by Clayborne Carson and Peter Holloran
“A Knock at Midnight: Inspirations from the Great Sermons of Martin Luther King, Jr.” title is derived from a sermon King delivered several times (1962, 1967) but was most likely first given in 1958. An edited piece, this book presents the reader with 11 sermons by Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1954-1968. There are many books about King, and his life’s work, but this is a must-read, in that it helps one to realize the breadth and depth of King’s philosophy of truth, justice and equality through theology. Many know MLK for having “A Dream” or as a civil rights activist, but King reminds us that, “before I was a civil rights leader, I was a preacher of the gospel.” “A Knock at Midnight” also highlights the unique legacy that produced an MLK. Michael King, as he was known as a young child, was a product of a great-grandfather, grandfather and father of the gospel.
"The Long Shadow of Little Rock"
By Daisy Bates
"The Long Shadow of Little Rock: A Memoir," originally published in 1962, opens with a foreword by former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and she states that, “This is a book which I hope will be read by every American.” “The Long Shadow” is a memoir about Arkansas civil rights activist Daisy Bates, who was a mentor and guide to the famed “Little Rock 9,” a group of young African American students seeking to integrate the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. This historical event would come to be known as the “Little Rock School Crisis of 1957.” In her memoir, 16 chapters provide an insight into her upbringing in the segregated South and how it would shape her zeal to fight for equal rights and justice. She provides a great narrative of the characters, events and dog whistles which created the climate for the "long shadow" of Little Rock, impacting the city and the nine black students ranging from the ages of 14-17.
"Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement"
By John Lewis with Michael D'Orso
"Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement" (1998) is an account of civil rights leader and former U.S. Congressman John Lewis and his hands-on experience of the movement. A native of rural Alabama, Lewis would go on to attend historically black Fisk University in Nashville. In 1957, Lewis would reflect on Martin Luther King’s prophetic theology of justice and decide to get in “good trouble” and engage the system of segregation. Along with other student activists such as Diane Nash and James Bevel, Lewis and other students would launch a monumental lunch counter sit-in. Later in life, Lewis would continue serving the country toward social justice as a U.S. congressman from 1986-2020.
"Revolution of Conscience: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Philosophy of Nonviolence"
By Greg Moses
Greg Moses provides a robust examination of King’s logic of non-violence as a philosophical system rooted in African American philosophy and thought, in addition to a practice of direct action.
"Ready from within: Septima Clark and the Civil Rights Movement"
Edited by Cynthia Stokes Brown
Septima Clark started Citizenship Education Schools to provide literacy training and basic rights education, and worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. As a longtime teacher, educator and activist (she was fired from her job in South Carolina in 1956 for being a member of the NAACP), this book richly conveys her story about her work to eliminate illiteracy across the Deep South.
"The Chicago Freedom Movement: Martin Luther King Jr. and Civil Rights Activism in the North"
Edited by Mary Lou Finley, Bernard Lafayette Jr., James R. Ralph Jr. and Pam Smith
This edited volume seeks to reinterpret what most histories of the civil rights movement consider a failure to implement nonviolent direct action in Chicago. It offers multi-authored chapters and a compelling epilogue by a contemporary non-violent practitioner trained by the chief organizer of the Chicago Freedom Movement.
