Historian Taylor Branch Discusses Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Scott Shafer

Jan 16, 2017 at

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Civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., waves to supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial 28 August, 1963, on The Mall in Washington, DC, during the 'March on Washington' where King delivered his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech, which is credited with mobilizing supporters of desegregation and prompted the 1964 Civil Rights Act. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

On this Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, we talk to historian and MLK scholar Taylor Branch about the iconic minister and his lasting impact on the civil rights movement. Taylor is the author of “America in the King Years,” a trilogy detailing MLK’s life and the civil rights era. The first volume, “Parting the Waters” was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1989. We also talk with a curator from the new National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Related Links:

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Guests:

Mary Elliott, museum specialist, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture; co-curator, "Slavery and Freedom" exhibit

Taylor Branch, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian

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