We The People

The Constitutional and Moral Philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King

January 19, 2023

Share

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.  

 

Please subscribe to We the People and Live at the National Constitution Center on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.

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

 

TRANSCRIPT

This transcript may not be in its final form, accuracy may vary, and it may be updated or revised in the future.

Stay Connected and Learn More

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at [email protected].

Continue today’s conversation on Facebook and Twitter using @ConstitutionCtr.

Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly.

Loading...

Explore Further

Podcast
The Interbellum Constitution

Exploring the development of constitutional interpretation before the Civil War

Town Hall Video
A Conversation on Black Leadership With Eddie Glaude Jr.

In celebration of Juneteenth, political commentator Eddie Glaude Jr. explores how ordinary people have the capacity to achieve a…

Blog Post
When is the real Independence Day: July 2 or July 4?

There’s no doubt the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in July 1776. But which date has the legitimate…

Donate

Support Programs Like These

Your generous support enables the National Constitution Center to hear the best arguments on all sides of the constitutional issues at the center of American life. As a private, nonprofit organization, we rely on support from corporations, foundations, and individuals.

Donate Today

More from the National Constitution Center
Constitution 101

Explore our new 15-unit core curriculum with educational videos, primary texts, and more.

Media Library

Search and browse videos, podcasts, and blog posts on constitutional topics.

Founders’ Library

Discover primary texts and historical documents that span American history and have shaped the American constitutional tradition.

News & Debate