01/15/99

Martin Luther King

In November 1983, President Reagan signed legislation creating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, making it only the third national holiday born in this century. The first was Veterans Day, created as a "prayer for peace" in 1926. Memorial Day came second in 1948. This year marks the seventieth anniversary of Dr. King's birth. Honor his memory with this online expedition into his life and achievements.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

"A Baptist minister and passionate fighter for civil rights through nonviolent action, he (Dr. King) was the closest this country has come to producing a leader with the moral stature of Mohandas Gandhi." This celebration of Dr. King's life and mission, created by "The Seattle Times," covers The Man, The Movement, The Legacy and The Holiday. Don't miss the audio clips from three of King's best known speeches (follow the link from The Man). Be sure to finish by trying the quiz (follow the link from Electronic Classroom).

Martin Luther King, Jr. Directory

The King Directory is a joint effort between the King Center in Atlanta and the King Papers Project at Stanford University. It contains a brief biography and an archive of King's own writings. I found the Clayborne Carson article examining King's religious roots particularly interesting. "Rather than being torn between two mutually exclusive religious traditions, King's uniquely effective transracial leadership was based on his ability to combine elements of African-American and European-American religious traditions." Find it by following the link to Articles.

Martin Luther King, Jr.: A LIFE Tribute

Photojournalism at its best is what we've come to expect from "LIFE" magazine, and this online King tribute does not disappoint. The collection is organized into LIFE Covers, Classic Images, a photo essay ("Black in America"), and a profile of King subtitled "The Ghandi of American Civil Rights."

Martin Luther King, Jr. Timeline

Hats off to the kids of Room 100 (a mixed age K-2 classroom) at Buckman Elementary School in Portland, Oregon who illustrated this time line of Dr. King's life after reading "My Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King" by Faith Ringgold. This site is now several years old, yet is still a popular destination for Martin Luther King Day. Room 100 has also created pages about Monarch butterflies, women in history, and a space-themed alphabet. Isn't it fabulous what kids can do on the Internet?

King's Atlanta: Birthplace of a Leader

"In Atlanta, the streets of the neighborhood that nurtured King on his way to adulthood -- and comforted the adult King through years of struggle -- are open for walking and, in some cases, look much as they might have when King and his family lived on Auburn Avenue." This virtual walk through Sweet Auburn, the "prosperous black neighborhood that was home to King," is enhanced through the use of the IPIX plug-in. Imagine the sensation of stepping into the picture and having a complete 360-degree view. That is what IPIX can do for a seemingly two- dimensional photograph.

Please send questions or comments to feldman@surfnetkids.com.