More to Read, Watch and See
We appreciate your attendance at The Mountaintop! This show works to humanize and examine the life and trials of Martin Luther King Jr. and what it costs to be a leader as he was. We have made great progress, but are left with the important task of continuing the dream. We encourage you to explore this list of additional resources for more insight on the continued fight for equality, MLK Jr.’s legacy, and how you can support the dream he invisioned.
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Film and Television
Selma (2014)
Youtube, Paramount +, Amazon Prime
This film, directed by Ava DuVernay, tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s fight to secure equal voting rights. It follows his and other activists' three-month journey to organizing the historic Selma to Montgomery march in 1965 to raise awareness of the discrimination Black voters faced. It's a must-see.
King: A Filmed Record…Montgomery to Memphis (1969)
Vudu, Apple TV, Amazon
Immerse yourself in the key events of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. through this Academy Award-nominated documentary, depicting the 1955 bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, several of his speeches and more. Celebrities including Paul Newman and James Earl Jones help narrate clips of footage.
Our Friend, Martin (1998)
Amazon Prime
This animated film is a great introduction to the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. for children. It follows two teenagers who are transported back in time and meet with Dr. King at several points in his life.
King in the Wilderness (2018)
HBO Exclusive
King in the Wilderness gives a chilling glimpse into the last years of Dr. King’s life. The HBO documentary attempts to take the audience inside Dr. King’s state of mind while covering the roughly two years prior to his assassination at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. From dealing with near constant FBI surveillance to the growing opposition to his commitment to nonviolence, King in the Wilderness paints a sobering picture of the civil rights leader’s heroic journey. The film incorporates private and public moments with Dr. King, along with behind-the-scenes footage, archival photographs, phone conversations recorded by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and personal testimonials from Dr. King’s close confidants.
MLK/FBI
Hulu, Youtube TV, Apple TV
MLK/FBI is the first film to uncover the extent of the FBI's surveillance and harassment of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Based on newly discovered and declassified files, utilizing a trove of documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and unsealed by the National Archives, as well as revelatory restored footage, the documentary explores the government's history of targeting Black activists, and the contested meaning behind some of our most cherished ideals.
Books
Podcasts
According to the official story, on April 4th, 1968, a lone gunman assassinated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. That man, James Earl Ray, pled guilty and for most people the case was closed. The MLK Tapes, a new true crime podcast from the creators of Atlanta Monster and Monster: DC Sniper, explores rare recordings of eye-witness testimony and new interviews with people who were there to reveal the true story of the plot to kill Dr. King.
The Road To The Promised Land, 50 Years Later
Fifty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed in Memphis, Tenn. This week, we have two stories about the aftermath of his death. The first takes us to Memphis to remember King's final days. The second brings us to Oakland, Calif., where King's assassination "transformed the position of the Black Panther Party overnight."
Listen to the episode here
The Mothers Who Raised Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin
We've all heard of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin, but most of us know very little about the women who raised them.
A new book is trying to change that. Anna Malaika Tubbs is the author of "The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped A Nation."
She joined us to talk about these important women and why knowing their stories matters.
Listen to the episode here
In this book "America's leading scholars and activists from the civil rights years speak on a fascinating range of experiences surrounding King and his era, from his early personal religious conversion to his impact on the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa; from his place in history of the African-American church to the rise in Third World liberation struggles"
The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. explores the development of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s understanding of the relationship between religion, morality, law, and politics. This fascinating work is part of a broader effort by scholars in various fields to examine unexplored areas in the life, thought, and activism of Martin Luther King, Jr., and it represents the first book length treatment of how King united moral-religious convictions and political activity. This timely study is also the first in-depth analysis of King’s views on the roles that religion and morality ought to play, not only in public debate concerning political choices and law, but also in efforts to create political and legal structures that are just and to perpetuate participatory democracy.
Half a century after some of its most important moments, the assessment of the Civil Rights Era continues. In this exciting volume, Dr. Rufus Burrow turns his attention to a less investigated but critically important byway in this powerful storythe role of children and young people in the Civil Rights Movement.
What role did young people play, and how did they support the efforts of their elders? What did they seeand what did they do?that their elders were unable to envision? How did children play their part in the liberation of their people?In this project, Burrow reveals the surprising power of youth to change the world.
