Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.: Illustrator Ronald Wimberly’s First New Yorker Cover is Inspired by Storied Civil Rights Photograph
THE TRANSFORMATIONAL civil rights, human rights, and democracy work of Martin Luther King Jr., was largely understood and represented by public events—soaring and poignant speeches, strategic marches and protests, and multiple arrests. On Sept. 3, 1958, King was arrested outside the courthouse in Montgomery, Ala. Illustrated by Ronald Wimberly, the moment is captured on...
In His Final Public Speech in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. Said, ‘We’ve Got Some Difficult Days Ahead’
AT THE CONCLUSION OF HIS FAMOUS “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, Martin Luther King Jr., said “We’ve got some difficult days ahead.” He made the speech on April 3, 1968, to a crowd of striking sanitation workers at Bishop Charles Mason Temple in Memphis, Tenn. He had flown into town from Atlanta under...
MLK Day: From Los Angeles to New York, Art Museums are Celebrating the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., looks out at crowd in Montgomery, Ala., 1965 | Courtesy Stephen Somerstein ART MUSEUMS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES are celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., on Monday, Jan. 21, the official federal King Day holiday. This year’s commemoration of King’s birthday marks 90 years since he was born...
The Atlantic Explores Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy Through a Contemporary Lens, with Contributions From Artists LaToya Ruby Frazier and Kara Walker
KARA WALKER, “Dr. King,” 2015 THE YEAR 2018 coincides with many historic milestones. It’s been a half century since the Studio Museum in Harlem was founded, the Chicago artist collective AFRICOBRA was formed, Olympic track athletes raised their fists at the Mexico City games in a stand for racial justice, and the Kerner Commission...
Illustrator Kadir Nelson Envisions Martin Luther King Jr., for Cover of New Yorker
THIS WEEK’S THE NEW YORKER boasts a cover image of Martin Luther King Jr., by Los Angeles artist Kadir Nelson. In the illustration, the civil rights legend’s brow is furrowed. He looks pensive, as though he is not sure what to make of the state of the nation he left behind. “What would...
Museums Mark MLK Day: Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr., Through the Lens of Art & Culture
LAST YEAR, ABOUT THIS TIME, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History (NMAAHC) announced it had acquired a rare bust of Martin Luther King Jr., by Charles Alston. The bronze sculpture, one of five, was gifted to the museum by Chicago-based collectors Eric and Cheryl McKissack. (One of the editions is on display...
With Words and Deeds, President Obama Pays Tribute to the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza AS THE ADMINISTRATION of President Barack Obama comes to a close and the inauguration of the next commander-in-chief looms, this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day takes on added significance. The occasion is particularly symbolic for the first black President of the United States. When President Obama...
Martin Luther King Jr., ‘Selma’ and the Images that Captured the 1965 Voting Rights March
Marchers on the way to Montgomery, Ala., as families watch from their porches, 1965 | Courtesy Stephen Somerstein WITHOUT THE IMAGES, the protracted fight for American civil rights is an abstract notion. The legal outcomes are tangible, but the untenable measures undertaken by countless foot soldiers in the pursuit of racial justice are brought...
