Martin Luther King Jr.: A King Family Tribute

by Angela Farris Watkins (Editor), Andrew Young (Foreword by)

Overview

In this “handsome photo-essay . . . family members across generations and a few close friends remember the man they knew as ‘M. L.’” (Booklist).

Martin Luther King Jr.’s family comes together for the first time to share their reflections and memories of the great civil rights leader in this touching and intimate volume. Included are contributions from his sister (the only surviving member of his immediate family), his children, his in-laws, his nieces and nephews, and even his grandchildren, who, although they never met him, explain what his legacy means to them.

Unlike the iconic persona of statues and portraits, the book presents a loving view of the man who used to sneaking naps during holiday meals and playing games with his nieces and nephews. Alongside these tributes are never-before-published family photos of Dr. King, as well as new photographs of the memorial dedicated to him in August 2011 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683357421
Publisher:	ABRAMS, Inc.
Publication date:	04/12/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Angela Farris Watkins, PhD, is the niece of Martin Luther King Jr. She is an associate professor of psychology at Spelman College. Watkins is the author of two children’s books about her uncle published by Abrams Books for Young Readers. She lives in Atlanta.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 4 Up—Relatives share memories of the Civil Rights leader in this scrapbook-style tribute. Among those who contributed reminiscences about "ML" (as he was called by his family) are his mother, father, and brother (all posthumously); his sister, Christine King Farris; his nieces, Alveda King and Angela Farris Watkins (who edited the collection); and his nephew, Derek King. Of special interest to readers will be writings from King's teenaged great-nieces Farris Christine Watkins, Victoria King, and Venus King. Students will have previously heard many of these stories in picture books by Christine King Farris and Angela Farris Watkins; what makes this collection truly significant are the photos, which are referred to in an editor's note as "treasured keepsakes of the King family." How amazing to be able to see perhaps the 20th century's most influential leader buckling his daughter's shoes, or leaning lazily against a car while hanging out with his brother. But thanks to Watkins and others in Dr. King's extended family, young people can now view this larger-than-life figure as a real person. Short biographies of the contributors are appended.—Sam Bloom, Blue Ash Library, Cincinnati, OH

School Library Journal

Family and friends remember Dr. King as a role model and dedicate themselves to his mission. Watkins, Dr. King's niece, has assembled their writings and excerpts from their speeches. All pay tribute to his spirit, abiding faith and dedication to the cause of civil rights, and they affirm their own commitment to "following the path he walked," as his nephew, Derek B. King, states. King's father's remarks are excerpted from his autobiography. The chapter for Dr. King's mother quotes from and reproduces a loving letter he wrote to her in 1948. There is no entry from Coretta Scott King. Those who knew him personally consistently refer to him as playful, loving and caring. This is, however, not a biography; his campaign for civil rights is not specifically detailed, nor is there any discussion of his assassination or funeral. Similarly, the many handsomely reproduced and arranged photographs depict the Kings at family events and gatherings. The concluding chapter showcases the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial on the National Mall. This attractive title is infused with a dominant aura of faith and devotion to God's work; it should be useful in Sunday school settings and as a pictorial supplement. (foreword by Andrew Young, afterword of beatitudes, brief biographies of contributors, index) (Essays. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews