In celebration of Dr. King’s Birthday, I’m sharing some of my favorite speeches from him as well as a few films, documentaries, and television series that feature his life and legacy. Some of these are hidden gems, along with a few speeches and films that I have learned about through my time as a student and now professor. Check them out below:
Dr. G’s Fave Speeches from Dr. King:
- “Proud to be maladjusted” [Dartmouth College, 1962]
- Letter from a Birmingham Jail [Birmingham, AL, April 16, 1963]
- “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break the Silence” [Riverside Church, New York City, April 4, 1967]
- The Drum Major Instinct [Atlanta, GA, February 4, 1968]
- I’ve Been to the Mountaintop [Memphis, Tennessee, April 3, 1968]
Films, Documentaries, and Television Series [*Premium Subscription]
- Genius: MLK/X (2024) [Set to be released on February 1st on National Geographic, Hulu, and Disney+]
- King: A Filmed Record…Montgomery to Memphis (1970) [Can be found on Apple TV and Amazon Prime*]
- Eyes on the Prize series (1993) [Can be found on HBO Max and Amazon Prime*]
- Boycott (2001) [Can be found here and on HBO Max]
- Betty & Coretta [Can be found on Lifetime and Amazon Prime]
- Selma (2014) [Can be found on Amazon Prime]
- Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise (2016) [Can be found on Amazon Prime and PBS Documentaries]
- I Am Not Your Negro (2017) [Can be watched on Amazon Prime]
- King in the Wilderness (2018) [Can be watched here and on HBO Max]
- I Am MLK Jr (2018) [Can be found on Amazon Prime and the CW]
- MLK/FBI (2020) [Can be found on Hulu and Apple TV+]
- Four Died Trying (2023) [Can be found on Apple TV+]
- Rustin (2023) [Can be found on Netflix]
As an extra bonus, you can also check out this 360 Look at the National Civil Rights Museum which features Dr. King’s legacy.
“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right.”
~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Black Future Feminist 