Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Movement 1954-1985 (1986-1990) The 14 episodes of the EYES ON THE PRIZE series tell the definitive story of the civil rights era from the point of view of the ordinary men and women whose extraordinary actions launched a movement that changed the fabric of American life, and embodied a struggle whose reverberations continue to be felt today. Winner of numerous Emmy Awards, a George Foster Peabody Award, an International Documentary Award, and a Television Critics Association Award, Eyes on the Prize is the most critically acclaimed documentary on civil rights in America. (Streaming on PBS.org) 

MLK/FBI (2021)  Based on recently declassified files, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sam Pollard explores the US government's surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Streaming on Amazon Prime and Hulu)

We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest (2020)  We Are the Dream chronicles the months leading up to the finals of the 40th annual Oakland Martin Luther King Oratorical Festival, as schools across the city send their top-placing individuals and groups to compete in the event. The film follows the contestants from rehearsals at home and in their classrooms through district semifinals and, ultimately, to the finals where they perform in front of hundreds, speaking from the heart and paying tribute to the legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Streaming on HBO Max or Kanopy) 

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. (Streaming on Kanopy)

I Am Not Your Negro: James Baldwin and Race in America (2016) An Oscar-nominated documentary narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO explores the continued peril America faces from institutionalized racism in a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using James Baldwin's original words and flood of rich archival material. I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. (Streaming on Kanopy) 

Freedom Summer: Mississippi, 1964. (2014)  This documentary tells the story of the Freedom Summer, a 10-week Civil Rights campaign in which white students from the North joined activists on the ground in Mississippi for a massive effort that would do what had been impossible so far: force the media and the country to take notice of the shocking violence and massive injustice taking place across the state. 

Boycott (2001) Fusing scripted scenes with real and recreated footage, this powerful film vividly evokes the tension, energy and excitement of a unique episode in American history: the moment the Civil Rights movement found its leader in Martin Luther King Jr. (Streaming on HBO Max.)

Selma (2014) Ava Duvernay’s Selma centers on King Jr. as a key figure (played by David Oyelowo), the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the fight for suffrage, the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But most prominently, the film chronicles the history-altering march at Selma for voting rights. (Streaming on Amazon Prime) 

Many libraries and other online sources have curated excellent lists of books on racial justice and the Civil Rights Movement in honor of Martin Luther King Day.

Here are a few good lists to start with: 

• The King Center, "Books and Bibliography" 
• Bookriot, "20 Martin Luther King Jr. Books in Honor of MLK Day" (2020)
• Penguin Random House, "10 Books to Understand Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy Today" 

If you'd prefer to read and discuss a book with others, consider joining our next DEI Community Book read. This month's book selection is Dolly Chugh's The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias. Register here. 

CSDI will also sponsor a Community Book Read for students this spring, in preparation for our author event with Nicola Yoon on March 22. The Book Read selection is Yoon's The Sun is Also a Star. Register for the book read here.

• King visits Cleveland - read about Dr. King's Civil Rights work in Cleveland in the online Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. 

• The King Legacy is a partnership between the estate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Beacon Press. (All links below are reproduced from their curated list of pages.)

• The King Center  is a "living memorial" founded by Coretta Scott King to advance the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  

• The MLK Research and Education Institute supports research into Martin Luther King's life and work and programs that promote understanding of social justice issues.

• The King Papers Project is dedicated to publishing a definitive edition of King's most significant papers, including sermons, correspondence, speeches, unpublished manuscripts. The project also engages in education programs related to Dr. King.

• Washington, DC MLK National Memorial is a vision to commemorate the life and  work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by leading a collaborative funding, design, and construction process in the creation of a memorial to honor his national and international contributions to world peace through non-violent social change.

• The King Legacy Series is a partnership with the Estate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to print new editions of previously published King titles as well as new compilations of his sermons, speeches, lectures.

• MLK Day of Service is an opportunity for Americans to honor Dr. King’s legacy through service. The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community.

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Coalition is a nonprofit organization working to strengthen the diverse human community through the promotion of non-violence and understanding. Members of the Coalition strive to fulfill that mission by keeping Dr. King’s memory and ideals alive through the annual program and related activities.

Friday, January 14

• Cleveland Clinic: Day of Celebration Building Community Together Virtual Event 1/14, 8 am, online. This virtual event is hosted WKYC’s Russ Mitchell and will feature musical performances by Musical Pathway Fellowship and the Cleveland Institute of Music along with a speech from newly-minted Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb. Mitchell will also host a panel with CEO's of several local hospitals. Free; live stream. 

• Case Western Reserve University: Virtual MLK Convocation, 1/14, 1:00 pm, Virtual via Zoom.  Historian and Peabody Award winner Jelani Cobb joins Case Western for a virtual convocation discussing the theme of the Half-Life of Freedom, Race and Justice in America Today. A staff writer at The New Yorker, Cobb is also the Ira A. Lippman Professor of Journalism at Columbia University. Free; registration required. 

• The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert with the Cleveland Orchestra, 1/14, Airs at 10 pm on WVIZ. This special was produced by Ideastream Public Media in 2018 and features classical selections as well as traditional hymns and spirituals that pay tribute to the life of the civil rights icon. [Due to COVID, the Orchestra's annual live performance has been postponed this year.]  The concert will also air on the radio on Sunday 1/16 at 7:30 pm (WCLV) and Monday 1/17 at 9:00 pm (WCPN). Listen on-air or online at ideastream.org. 

Saturday, January 15

• Black Baseball Stories 2022: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1/15, 10:00-11:00 am, Community  Cup Classic Foundation. This virtual event will pay tribute to Dr. King’s legacy. It will also include activities that spotlight the challenging, historic, and legacy of baseball's Negro Leagues and the African American experience in baseball. 

Sunday, January 16

• The 45th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Annual Birthday Observance at Tri-C, 1/16, 2:30 pm. Cuyahoga Community College. This annual remembrance (virtual for 2022) features an assortment of musical performances and scholarship presentations as well as student speeches honoring the civil rights leader. Online web stream begins at 2:30 pm. Free. 

• Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Concert at the Bop Stop, 1/16, 3:00 pm. Virtual. The Music Settlement will present a musical tribute to the life and legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. This memorial concert will be livestreamed from the Settlement’s BOP STOP at 2920 Detroit Ave, in Ohio City. The program will include a variety of sacred and secular music with vocal and instrumental songs of hope and faith, and featuring music by African-American composers. Performers will include faculty members and guest artists. Free. 

• Virtual MLK Lecture: Bishop Joey Johnson, "Health or Healthcare?", 1/16, 2:00-3:00 pm. Virtual. Joey Johnson, Presiding Bishop of Beth-El Fellowship of Visionary Churches, will echo and discuss the meaning of Dr. King's 1966 statement about health and explore what healthcare in the USA looks like today. Sponsored by the Akron Summit County Public Library and the Eta Tau Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Free. 

Monday, January 17

• Virtual Discovery Day at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1/17. Virtual programming for children and families for Martin Luther King Day. Activities begin at 10:00 am on Facebook Live. Free. 

• “It Starts with Me: Shifting Priorities to Create the Beloved Community." 1/17, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Cleveland Museum of Art. Activities and meditations for visitors of all ages on the King Center’s 2022 King Holiday theme, “It Starts with Me: Shifting Priorities to Create the Beloved Community.” Free. 

• Hear Our Voices: Free MLK Day Celebration, 1/17, 10:30 am - 4:30 pm; Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. Rooted in the Jewish value, respect for all humanity, the Maltz Museum offers an all-day celebration including free Museum admission, virtual family activities, and a special online program featuring Dr. Khalid el-Hakim, founder of the Black History 101 Mobile Museum. Free. 

• Lake County NAACP MLK Day of Service and Celebration, 1/17, 6:00 pm, Lake Erie College, Painesville. Free. 

• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Virtual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 1/17, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Virtual. Tune in at the Rock Hall’s YouTube channel and website to watch interviews with Jennifer Hudson and Robert Randolph, archival footage of artists, exclusive induction footage, and artifact spotlights on artists like Janelle Monae, Sam Cooke, Jimi Hendrix, and James Brown. Free. The Rock Hall is also offering a limited number of FREE admission tickets on MLK Day. Click here to make reservations.

Tuesday, January 18

• Fr. Gregory Boyle SJ keynote lecture for Martin Luther King Week, 1/18, 7:00 pm. Baldwin Wallace University. Virtual via Zoom. Fr. Greg Boyle will share a sampling of what he's learned over the past three decades as the leader of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world. Free; registration required.

Wednesday, January 19

• MLK @ Tower Time, 1/19, 2:00-3:00 pm, John Carroll University. All JCU students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in a virtual discussion of the film King in the Wilderness. Online via Zoom. 

Thursday, January 20

• Author talk with Rev. Dr. Marvin McMickle, 1/20, 6:00 pm, The Cleveland History Center. McMickle, Interim Pastor of Cleveland's historic Antioch Baptist Church, will discuss his book, Let the Oppressed Go Free, which examines the influence of various liberation theologies in social, cultural and political history. Virtual, free. Registration required. 

• A Campus-Wide Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration: Sankofa Panel Discussion, 1/20, 12:30 pm, Cleveland State University. Panelists will discuss Dr. King's legacy in film and through their personal memories of King's visits to Cleveland. Virtual, free. Registration required. 

Local events: 

• Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Mass for MLK Day, 1/17, 10:00 am, Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Bishop Edward Malesic will celebrate a Mass marking the legacy of the late civil rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Mass will be livestreamed on the diocesan website. Sponsored by the Shepherding Committee of the diocesan Office for Ministry with African American Catholics. 

• Temple-Tifereth Israel presents a virtual MLK Day Nefesh Shabbat service, 1/14, 6 p.m. The MLK service will celebrate and commemorate the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and honor his message of peace and tolerance among all people. Pastor Richard Gibson of Elizabeth Baptist Church in Cleveland will be the guest speaker. The event will feature themed music, poetry and readings that raise awareness of the continued work to be done.

• MLK Summit at Christ Community Chapel, 1/17. Kids, young adults and adults can listen to King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in three different timeslots at Christ Community Chapel, 750 W. Streetsboro St., Hudson, during the church’s MLK Summit. A dinner is included in the high school and college student slot. Free.

• Wingfoot Church Virtual Reading & Reflection on Martin Luther King Jr's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," 1/16 at 6:00 pm and again 1/17 at 12:00 pm. Virtual via Zoom. Hosted by Wingfoot Church, Akron, OH. Join Pastor Jon for a reading and reflection on Martin Luther King Jr's Letter from Birmingham Jail. Arrested on Good Friday, 1963 while leading a non-violent protest against racial segregation, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote a letter from the jail in Birmingham, Alabama in response to white clergy who questioned his presence and the timing of the protest. In the letter, King lays out a Christian vision for social action in the here and now. Free. 

• Wesley United Methodist Church hosts the Lorain NAACP Annual MLK Celebration featuring keynote speaker Rev. Michael Howard. 1/16, 4:00 pm, Wesley United Methodist Church, 220 W. 7th St., Lorain, Ohio. 

Virtual events elsewhere:

• In Pursuit of Hope: 2022 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Prayer Service at the Catholic Theological Union. 1/18, 6:00-7:00 pm EST. Virtual prayer service will include music, interfaith prayer reflections and a charge for action. Online; register to receive link. 

• Temple Shaaray Tefila presents an MLK Shabbat and Shabbat Shira service with guest Allen Zerkin, 1/14, 6:15-7:30 pm, Virtual. He will speak about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, the subject of the recent documentary “Summer of Soul.” Tonight, 6:15 -7:30 p.m. Free. 

• What Do WE Say to Death?—A Learning Session and Havdalah Service With Rev. Dr. Timothy Adkins-Jones, pastor of the historic Bethany Baptist Church. 1/15, 6:00-7:15 pm, sponsored by Central Synagogue, NYC. Adkins-Jones will discuss how to “work together across religious communities to bring more light into the world.”

• UJA-Federation of NY and scholars from the Shalom Hartman Institute and Ammud: The Jews of Color Torah Academy present a free evening of virtual learning to honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy. Learn how traditional and modern teachings help inform the contemporary struggle for racial justice and universal belonging. Register here. Sunday, Jan. 16, 5:00- 7:30 p.m.