About this Book

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is known for being one of the greatest orators of the 20th Century, and perhaps in all of American history. In the 1950s and 1960s, his words led the Civil Rights movement and helped change a society. Although he is best known for helping achieve civil equality for African-Americans, these speeches -- selected because they were each presented at a turning point in the Civil Rights movement -- show that his true goal was much larger than that: he hoped to achieve acceptance for all people, regardless of race or nationality.

This companion volume to A Knock At Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. includes the text of his most well-known oration, I Have a Dream, to his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize to Beyond Vietnam, a powerful plea to end the ongoing conflict. Though the speeches refer to the conditions of the 1960s, his assertions that nonviolent protest is the key to democracy, and that all humans are equal, are as timeless and powerful today as they were thirty years ago.

Also featured in this text are introductions from world-renowned defenders of civil rights. Reflecting on their own experiences (many of them knew Dr. King and even saw the speech itself), they explain how they believe Dr. King's words can be used for the 21st Century. Writers include Ambassador Andrew Young, Rosa Parks, and Senator Edward Kennedy, among others.