Binary States of America: A Letter to Obama
In the end, although I wanted you to be more like Charles Bronson or Malcolm or Luke Cage, I am very proud to have witnessed your historic presidency—the successes, and even the disappointments.
...more
Posts Tagged: MLK
The Storming Bohemian Punks the Muse #11: Politics, Madness, and Sanity
My family was always political, but I have a love/hate relationship with politics. Today, I can feel the country swinging towards madness. And make no mistake, a country can go mad. It is familiar territory, exciting and threatening, seductive and fearful. It feels good; it does NOT feel good. Or, if I may coin a […]
...moreGetting It Right
People have been writing about civil rights for years, but it’s taken Hollywood until now to warm up to the subject (of course, not enough). Bill Morris traces the history of the movement’s cinematic representations leading up to Ava DuVernay’s recent triumph: Movies about the civil rights movement — the successful ones– have tended to […]
...moreMartin Luther King, Jr. Day
Today we honor the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His impact on the world is sort of impossible to overstate. As one African-American man who grew up before the Civil Rights movement put it, “Dr. King ended the terror of living in the South.” Here’s an illustration by Jason Novak to mark the occasion:
...moreThe Sonic Wonder of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” Speech
Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the March on Washington, the massive civil rights protest at which Martin Luther King, Jr., famously delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. That speech’s stirring vision of political and social equality for blacks is now legendary, but its dexterous musicality is often overlooked. The New Yorker‘s Page-Turner blog takes […]
...more
On Loitering
In Charles Moore’s iconic black-and-white photograph, Coretta looks on stoically, lips parted, hands clasped in front as her husband, Martin Luther King, has his right arm bent behind his back by a police officer in a tall hat.
...moreAny Day Now, by Terry Bisson
“In this universe the night was falling…” So muses Clayton Bewley, the uprooted Kentuckian at the center of Terry Bisson’s latest novel Any Day Now. It’s a line Clay plucks from Arthur C. Clarke, and it underscores the novel’s blend of coming-of-age tropes and sci-fi-influenced alternate 1960s history. As Clay finds himself in worlds beyond […]
...moreBeacon Press to Republish Out-of-print MLK Books
Beacon Press has come to an agreement with the heirs of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to republish four out-of-print books by the clergyman and civil rights leader, including “Strength to Love,” a collection of his most eloquent and inspiring essays tying the message of Jesus to the struggle for civil rights, as in the […]
...more