★ MLK In his Own Words – January 18 from RoCo Public Library

Join Roanoke County Public Library in marking what would have been Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s 92nd birthday. We’ll virtually discuss five of his most famous speeches and his Letter from Birmingham Jail.

We’ll talk about our perception of the most famous quotes outside of, and within, the context of the larger works. We’ll compare the way his words were perceived in the 1960s to today, the impact of his delivery, and the legacy he has left behind.

You’ll receive login-in information and convenient links to the speeches upon registering. Links are also below.

Watch 5 of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Most Memorable Speeches courtesy of PBS’s Washington Week.

Texts for the speeches are available, except where indicated, from Stanford University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute:

• I Have a Dream 17:29 — I Have a Dream
• Our God is Marching on! 2 minutes — Our God is Marching on!
• Beyond Vietnam 7:51– Beyond Vietnam
• The Other America 47:54–The Other America (via Civil Rights Movement archive)
• I’ve Been to the Mountaintop 2:37 —I’ve Been to the Mountaintop