Between January 12–24, members of the Emory community will commemorate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. during King Week.
The federal holiday commemorating Dr. King was officially established in 1983, when President Ronald Reagan signed legislation designating King’s birthday as a national public holiday. Its passage followed years of persistent advocacy led by Coretta Scott King and other civil rights leaders. Congressman John Lewis, a steadfast supporter of the effort, emphasized the holiday’s significance, stating, “The King holiday is not a Black holiday, but an American holiday…It should be celebrated by all Americans, and by all people who believe in justice.” Lewis later pushed to expand the holiday’s purpose, urging Americans to actively serve their communities. In 1994, President Bill Clinton formalized this vision by adding a national call to service, making it the only federally designated holiday devoted to volunteerism.
Interested in learning more about King and his enduring legacy? Explore one of the following documentary films available through the Robert W. Woodruff Library. Members of the public can also use the lists below to locate these titles at their local libraries.
King: A Filmed Record … Montgomery to Memphis (1970)
This classic documentary, presented by the Martin Luther King Jr. Foundation, uses rare archival footage to trace King’s rise as an activist and civil rights leader to his assassination in 1968. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature Film. Long available only in a shortened version, the film was restored to its original length by the Library of Congress using film elements held at the Museum of Modern Art. Directed by Ely Landau and Richard Kaplan.
This HBO documentary special was produced for the 50th anniversary of King’s death. It draws upon testimony from close friends and associates to shed light on the challenges King faced in the last years of his life due to the rapidly changing political and social landscape, including the escalation of the Vietnam War. Directed by Peter. W. Kunhardt.
In Remembrance of Martin (1986)
“Personal comments from family, friends, and advisors fill this remarkable documentary honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Coretta Scott King joins the Reverend Ralph Abernathy, Julian Bond, Jimmy Carter, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Senator Edward Kennedy, John Lewis, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Andrew Young, who recall Dr. King’s career and trace his leadership in the civil rights movement. Includes portions of his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.” (Publisher description.) Directed by Kell Kearns.
Emory Libraries holds a rich collection of documentaries and feature films devoted to King and the African American civil rights movement, including titles listed under the Library of Congress subject headings King, Martin Luther, Jr.,1929-1968 and African Americans–Civil Rights–History–20th Century. All items in the library’s media collection are discoverable in Library Search.
—by Erica Bruchko, US history and African American Studies librarian, and James Steffen, Film and Media Studies librarian