For Teachers and Librarians

The Trumpet of Conscience

In November and December 1967, Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered five lectures for the renowned Massey Lecture Series of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The collection was immediately released as a book under the title Conscience for Change, but after King’s assassination in 1968, the book was republished as The Trumpet of Conscience. The collection sums up his long-term vision of nonviolence as a path to world peace and is his final testament on racism, poverty, and war.

Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s account of the first successful large-scale application of nonviolent resistance in America is comprehensive, revelatory, and intimate. In his first book, King delineates racial conditions in Montgomery before, during, and after the bus boycott which lasted from December 15, 1955, until December 21, 1956. He discusses the origin and significance of the boycott; the roles that residents, civic and church leaders, and community organizations played in organizing and sustaining the movement; and the reactions of white Montgomery officials and residents.

A Teachers' Guide to Stride Towards Freedom (pdf)

A Readers' Guide to Stride Towards Freedom ( (pdf)

"All Labor Has Dignity"

People forget that Dr. King was every bit as committed to economic justice as he was to ending racial segregation. As we struggle with massive unemployment, a staggering racial wealth gap, and the near collapse of our financial system, King’s prophetic writings and speeches underscore King’s relevance for today.

Gathered in one volume for the first time, the majority of these lectures to unions in the 1960s and addresses during his Poor People’s Campaign will be new to most readers. They help us imagine King anew: as a human rights leader whose commitment to economic justice was a crucial part of his civil rights agenda.

Why We Can't Wait

In 1963, Birmingham, Alabama, was perhaps the most racially segregated city in the United States, but the campaign launched by Fred Shuttlesworth, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and others demonstrated to the world the power of nonviolent direct action. 

Often applauded as King’s most incisive and eloquent book, Why We Can’t Wait recounts the Birmingham campaign in vivid detail, while underscoring why 1963 was such a crucial year for the civil rights movement. King examines the history of the civil rights struggle and the tasks that future generations must accomplish to bring about full equality.

A Teachers' Guide to Why We Can't Wait  (pdf)

Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?  

In this prophetic work--his final book--King looks at the state of American race relations and the movement after a decade of U.S. civil rights struggles. He lays out his thoughts, plans, and dreams for America's future, including the need for better jobs, higher wages, decent housing, and quality education. With a universal message of hope that continues to resonate, King demanded an end to global suffering, asserting that humankind--for the first time--has the resources and technology to eradicate poverty.