In honor of Martin Luther King Day, January 16, 2023, we pay tribute to Dr. King by discussing his historical legacy and constitutional and moral philosophy through his key writings, speeches, and intellectual and moral inspirations and influences. Guests Christopher Brooks, professor of history at East Stroudsburg University, and Hasan Kwame Jeffries, associate professor of history at Ohio State University, discuss some of Dr. King’s most seminal writings and speeches and talk about the key texts, ideas, and writers that influenced Dr. King’s life and work, from Christianity and the Bible, to civil rights figures like Howard Thurmond. Host Jeffrey Rosen moderates.
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Today’s show was produced by Lana Ulrich and Bill Pollock. It was engineered by Bill Pollock and David Stotz. Research was provided by Liam Kerr, Emily Campbell, Sophia Gardell, Sam Desai, and Lana Ulrich.
Participants
Christopher Brooks is professor of history at East Stroudsburg University. His current research deals with John S. Rock, the first African-American attorney admitted to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court. Dr. Brooks is a regular columnist for the The Morning Call, Historically Speaking, and his work has also appeared in other newspapers. Along with Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Dr. Brooks is selecting primary sources for the civil rights period of the NCC’s Founders’ Library project.
Hasan Kwame Jeffries is associate professor of history at Ohio State University. He is the author of Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama’s Black Belt, and his current book project, In the Shadow of Civil Rights, examines the Black experience in New York City from 1977 to 1993. Along with Christopher Brooks, Professor Jeffries is selecting primary sources for the civil rights period of the NCC’s Founders’ Library project.
Jeffrey Rosen is the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization devoted to educating the public about the U.S. Constitution. Rosen is also professor of law at The George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.
Additional Resources
- Dr. Martin Luther King, “Address Before the New York State Civil War Centennial Commission,” Sept. 12, 1962 (Video | Transcript | Draft)
- Dr. Martin Luther King, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” April 16, 1963
- Dr. Martin Luther King, “I Have a Dream” speech, August 28, 1963
- Dr. Martin Luther King, “Beyond Vietnam – A Time to Break Silence,” April 4, 1967
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community (1967)
- Howard Thurmond, Jesus and the Disinherited
TRANSCRIPT
This transcript may not be in its final form, accuracy may vary, and it may be updated or revised in the future.
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