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Books That Carry On the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
by Melissa Taylor
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left behind a legacy of equal rights and justice for all people through his nonviolent activism and service.
When I think about how to teach my children about Dr. King’s legacy, I think about using rich children’s books that echo King’s vision for a better future. Stories like these. Stories that prompt discussion.
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Picture Books
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I Have a Dream
Also available from:Experience Dr. King’s speech in written form, accompanied by beautiful illustrations.
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I am Martin Luther King, Jr.
Also available from:A look at Martin Luther King, Jr. as he was as a boy, his shock at the unfair way African Americans were treated, and his determination once he grew up to do something about it — peacefully, with powerful words.
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Enough! 20 Protesters Who Changed America
Also available from:This beautifully illustrated picture book celebrates some of the most influential activists who have embraced peaceful protest as a means to change the course of history.
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I am Rosa Parks
Also available from:Rosa Parks, the woman who was tired of being made to sit at the back of the bus, helped change bus segregation in the South and the Civil Rights Movement with her activism.
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Ron’s Big Mission
Also available from:Before Ron McNair became a Challenger astronaut, he was refused a library card simply because of the color of his skin.
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You Never Heard of Willie Mays?!
Also available from:A captivating and informative picture book that follows the career of Willie Mays — one of the greatest baseball players in history — and his rise from the Negro Leagues to playing center field for the (then) New York Giants. (Older readers who love baseball should also check out Gail Herman's Who Was Jackie Robinson?.)
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Firebird
Also available from:As the first African American Female Principal Dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland made history. In Firebird, Copeland shows young readers, and every kind of ballet hopeful, that it's possible to break barriers and reach new heights by working hard, staying determined, and believing in yourself.
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Of Thee I Sing
Also available from:Written as a letter to his daughters, President Barack Obama pays tribute to 13 American men and women — from Georgia O'Keeffe to Jackie Robinson — whose exemplary traits helped change the course of American history. Obama shares how these virtues are reflected not only in his own children, but in all of America's children, and encourages them to nurture that greatness.
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Each Kindness
Also available from:Chloe’s teacher shows her how a small act of kindness would have made a big difference in how Chloe treated the new girl Maya.
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The Name Jar
Also available from:Unhei is worried her new American classmates won’t be able to say her name, so she says they can pick a name for her. Fortunately, her classmates help her see that her own Korean name is beautiful and just right for her.
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Middle Grade
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Clean Getaway
Also available from:An 11-year-old boy sets out on an impromptu road trip with his grandmother, following her Green Book, a travel guide created to help African American travelers navigate the Jim Crow-era American South.
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Brave. Black. First.
Also available from:A powerful compilation made possible by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Brave. Black. First. introduces readers to more than 50 women who left behind a legacy (or, in some cases, are still creating that legacy!) that’s changed the course of our country.
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Finding Langston
Also available from:It’s 1946, and Langston is grieving both the death of his mother and the loss of his home. His father just uprooted them from Alabama to the cacophony of Chicago, and Langston’s never felt lonelier. But the Chicago Public Library, unlike Alabama’s, welcomes patrons of every race, and it’s there that Langston learns about Langston Hughes — the poet his mother loved.
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The Lions of Little Rock
Also available from:Friends Lizzie and Marlee live in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1958 where they face prejudice when Lizzie gets caught trying to pass for white.
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We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices
Also available from:As in Dr. King’s era, it can be inordinately difficult to discuss the tensions and tragedies of today with our children. In this essential anthology, 50 diverse authors and illustrators (including Jacqueline Woodson, Jason Reynolds, and Rita Williams-Garcia) offer poems, letters, art, and more, made to empower today’s youth to continue the fight for justice.
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Freedom's Children: Young Civil Rights Activists Tell Their Own Stories
Also available from:This poignant collection brings together the first-hand accounts of young people who grew up the 1950s and ’60s and bravely joined the fight for equality in the U.S. It’s a must-have for every tween learning about the Civil Rights Movement.
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963
Also available from:The Watsons head from Flint, Michigan to Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 when a church bomb explodes and racial tensions are high.
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Brown Girl Dreaming
Also available from:Transplanted between South Carolina and New York City during the time of the Civil Rights Movement, experience firsthand Jacqueline Woodson’s childhood of struggles and dreams in her powerful fictionalized memoir.
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Strong Inside (Young Readers Edition): The True Story of How Perry Wallace Broke College Basketball's Color Line
Also available from:Learn about Perry Wallace, who in 1966 became the first African American college student to play basketball in the Southeastern Conference, and his bravery in boldly facing the racism he endured in the South as he traveled with his team, ultimately becoming a Civil Rights hero and inspiration to other athletes of color.
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YA
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Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults)
Also available from:As a young lawyer, Bryan Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative with a mission to end mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the U.S. In this young adult adaptation of his bestseller, Stevenson shares stories of his work with those who have faced discrimination or wrongful conviction in the criminal justice system.
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Dear Martin
Also available from:Justyce’s seemingly perfect world is turned upside down after he’s falsely accused of a crime. Frustrated by the prejudice and hate he and other black individuals face, and seeking some clarity amid the confusion, Justyce starts writing letters to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a journal. A timely novel that packs a big punch.
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Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March
Also available from:In 1965, Martin Luther King Jr. led thousands of nonviolent demonstrators from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama — a dangerous 54-mile march to campaign for voting rights. Lowery was the youngest person to participate, and her memoir about the experience gives readers a deeply personal look at the Civil Rights Movement and how it felt to help reshape the world.
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Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2015 and updated in 2020.