Clayborne Carson

In Martin's Dream, Clayborne Carson has written about his journey from the 1963 March on Washington, where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I have a dream" speech, student activist with the civil rights movement through his involvement with SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and finally to his years as a scholar and editor of the King papers. This is really Carson's dream and King thought his eyes. But be aware that there is no bibliography or footnotes to fact check the material.

The most disturbing parts of the book were when Carson and his team discovered that King had not cited some of his sources properly, especially in his doctoral dissertation. The fallout and final resolution are discussed, including the dissatisfaction of Mrs. King and the rest of the family. There were also territorial issues over who had rights to the King papers, described in great detail.

I was fascinated by Carson's descriptions his play about King being produced in China and in Palestine as well as a chapter about Obama.

For those who want the life of MLK, Carson has edited his autobiography and there are many other works that can be read. But for a look at the life of an author and editor, this book is an excellent read.… (more)

Inspiring and suitably named collection. King was such a powerful orator that even reading his words can give you an idea of his fierce dedication to civil rights. The speeches in his book naturally share common themes (and often draw on certain Biblical metaphors time and again), but also addressed the specific issues of each situation -- fighting for the vote, urging nonviolence, eulogizing the four girls killed in a Birmingham church bombing, advocating the end of the Vietnam War. The intros to each piece give some context, but really the selections stand well on their own, and are worthwhile reading for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, or any time one needs to be reminded of the struggles of that era ... and how much farther we have to go.… (more)

You can read about Dr. MLK's landmark speeches but how much more dynamic it is to hear them. I picked this up to hear the "I Have a Dream" speech on the 50th anniversary but couldn't tell which track it was so I listened to the whole thing. It was interesting to hear "Dream" phrasing in his earlier speeches ("I have a dream" was presented months before in Detroit) as well as hear his preacherly cadence and pacing of his speech. (He starts out sleepy-slow and ever so slowly winds the crank to full-on righteousness.) The audio production isn't studio quality but there wouldn't be that MLK dynamism in the studio either. Also featured are civil rights luminaries reading essays that preface each speech.… (more)