Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute
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Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute
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The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute at Stanford University assembles and disseminates comprehensive resources about King's life and the movements he inspired. Learn more at https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/.
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#OnThisDay in 1964: "I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down men other-centered can build up."
King's receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize is celebrated at a January 1965 dinner in Atlanta. Photograph courtesy of Lane Brothers Commercial Photographers Photographic Collection, 1920-1976, LBSCB12-120d, Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.
December 10, 2025 at 7:27 PM
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On January 15th, join us for an exclusive look into Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy through rare archival documents brought to life by Dr. Lerone Martin, Director of Stanford's MLK Research & Education Institute!
The King Institute and the Stanford Institute for Advancing Just Societies present MLK: Live from the Archives. Join us for an exclusive look into Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy through rare archival documents brought to life by Dr. Lerone Martin, director of Stanford's MLK Research and Education Institute. Thursday, January 15th, 2026, 4:30 pm-6:30 pm Simonyi Conference Center, 4th floor CoDa Building, 389 Jane Stanford Way Tour the new MLK Research and Education Institute space Tours available prior to the event, between 2:00 pm-4:00 pm Tour location: The King Institute 450 Jane Stanford Way, Building 370 Cosponsored by the Department of African and African American Studies and the School of Humanities and Sciences.
December 9, 2025 at 7:34 PM
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#OTD in 1955, the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) was founded to guide a mass boycott of the city's segregated bus system. As the organization's president, King encouraged all Black citizens to participate, saying, "the great glory of American democracy is the right to protest for right."
The image is from the cover of Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story, a 16-page comic book about the Montgomery bus boycott published by the Fellowship of Reconciliation in 1958. Written by Alfred Hassler and Benton Resnik with illustrations by Sy Barry, the comic helped to disseminate the principles of nonviolent direct action.
December 5, 2025 at 7:01 PM
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70 years ago today, Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, after refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus.

Learn more here: kinginstitute.stanford.edu/parks-rosa
Photograph of Rosa Parks by Bob Fitch, courtesy of the Bob Fitch Photography Archive, Stanford University Libraries.
December 1, 2025 at 6:31 PM
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After FBI director J. Edgar Hoover called him "the most notorious liar in America," King released a 19 November 1964 statement in response: "He has apparently faltered under the awesome burdens, complexities and responsibilities of his office."
Photograph of King by Cees de Boer, Noord-Hollands Archief / Fotoburo de Boer.
November 20, 2025 at 1:02 AM
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🎊Happy birthday to Yolanda Denise King, who would have been 70 today!

📸Bob Fitch Photography Archive, © Stanford University Libraries.
Photograph of Yolanda King in 1968 by Bob Fitch, courtesy of the Bob Fitch Photography Archive, Stanford University Libraries.
November 17, 2025 at 7:36 PM
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✨ Two Generations, One Vision ✨

Martin Luther King, Jr., speaks at Stanford University in 1967, and Martin Luther King III speaks at Stanford University in 2025.

🎥 Watch King, Jr.’s powerful 1967 "The Other America" speech: searchworks.stanford.edu/view/1738074
Martin Luther King, Jr., speaks at Stanford in 1967: "If the race problem in America is to be solved, the white person must treat the Negro right not merely because the law says it, but because it's natural, because it's right, and because the Negro is his brother. And so I realize that if we are to have a truly integrated society, men and women will have to rise to the majestic heights of being obedient to the unenforceable." Photograph courtesy of Stanford University Libraries. Martin Luther King III speaks at Stanford's Memorial Church during the 2025 King Institute grand opening event: "The most important thing that I hope people know and learn is that the vision that he had was inclusive for everyone, no matter who and where you were. And if we could use that model and embrace that model, we really could transform the world for all humankind." Photograph by David Gonzales, @gonzalesphoto.
November 3, 2025 at 9:20 PM
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After the panel discussion at Stanford University's Memorial Church, guests were invited back to the King Institute for tours and a reception in our new space as well as a book signing with the Kings. Thank you to all who celebrated with us! 🎉

📷: David Gonzales @gonzalesphoto
Photograph by David Gonzales. Guests explore the King Institute's exhibit on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life during the open house event. Photograph by David Gonzales. Guests explore the King Institute's exhibit on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life during the open house event. Photograph by David Gonzales. Martin Luther King, III, and Arndrea Waters King sign books during the King Institute's open house event. Photograph by David Gonzales. Guests and volunteers enjoy the reception during the King Institute's open house event.
October 30, 2025 at 5:52 PM
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We were also honored to receive congratulations and words of encouragement from Stanford University President Jonathan Levin and School of the Humanities & Sciences Dean Debra Satz, who shared their aspirations for the King Institute's future.

📷: David Gonzales @gonzalesphoto
Photograph by David Gonzales. Stanford University President Jonathan Levin speaks with guests outside of Stanford's Memorial Church. Photograph by David Gonzales. School of the Humanities and Sciences Dean Debra Satz speaks at Stanford's Memorial Church for the King Institute's grand opening celebration. Photograph by David Gonzales. Evan Spiegel speaks during the panel discussion within Stanford's Memorial Church. Photograph by David Gonzales. Martin Luther King, III, speaks during the panel discussion within Stanford's Memorial Church.
October 28, 2025 at 6:35 PM
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The King Institute was delighted to launch our grand opening celebration with a distinguished panel discussion at Stanford's Memorial Church, featuring esteemed guests Evan Spiegel '12; Arndrea Waters King; Marina Limón '25; Martin Luther King, III; and Dr. Lerone Martin.
Photograph by David Gonzales. Panel guests Evan Spiegel; Arndrea Waters King; Marina Limón; Martin Luther King, III; and Dr. Lerone Martin speak at Stanford's Memorial Church during the King Institute's grand opening celebration. Photograph by David Gonzales. Dr. Lerone Martin speaks at Stanford's Memorial Church. Photograph by David Gonzales. Panel guests Evan Spiegel; Marina Limón; Arndrea Waters King; Martin Luther King, III; and Dr. Lerone Martin pose within Stanford's Memorial Church. Photograph by David Gonzales. Panel guests Evan Spiegel; Arndrea Waters King; Marina Limón; Martin Luther King, III; and Dr. Lerone Martin speak at Stanford's Memorial Church during the King Institute's grand opening celebration.
October 28, 2025 at 6:35 PM
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Happy birthday to Martin Luther King, III! As we celebrate your special day, may your tireless pursuit of love and equality embolden us all to strive for a brighter tomorrow! 🎉

Read more here: kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-martin-...
Martin Luther King III speaks to a Stanford University classroom. Photograph by David Gonzales, @GonzalesPhoto.
October 23, 2025 at 10:09 PM
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This weekend, we were thrilled to host Stanford alumni—including former King Institute affiliates, employees, and student researchers—for #StanfordReunion! Thank you so much for visiting. We were proud to show you our new space!
Visitors explore the King Institute's exhibit that chronicles major events in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life. King Institute director Dr. Martin poses with one of the Institute's former student researchers. Stanford alumni tour the King Institute's new office space on the Main Quad. Stanford alumni tour the King Institute's new office space on the Main Quad.
October 20, 2025 at 3:44 PM
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🎉 It's #Friday and we're more focused on our party prep than King is on sinking that tricky shot 🎱️!

Don't forget to RSVP for our Tuesday, October 14th Grand Opening. See the link below for details!
King plays pool in Chicago in 1966. Photograph by Bob Fitch, courtesy of the Bob Fitch Photography Archive, Stanford University Libraries.
October 10, 2025 at 10:26 PM
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This week in 1963, attorney general Robert F. Kennedy authorized the FBI to wiretap the phones at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Atlanta headquarters as well as at King's home. He later claimed there would have been “no living with the Bureau” if he had not signed the authorization.
Attorney general Robert F. Kennedy (left) meets with civil rights leaders including King, Dorothy Height, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, and A. Philip Randolph in the White House's Rose Garden on 22 June 1963. Photograph by Cecil Stoughton, courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, White House Photographs.
October 8, 2025 at 9:28 PM
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Get ready, Ohio! 💫 Dr. Lerone Martin is bringing MLK's powerful message of community and compassion to the Renaissance Theatre in Mansfield on Thursday, October 2. 🕊
The event invitation reads: "Richland County Foundation presents Kaleidoscope Community Conversations, featuring Dr. Lerone Martin, nationally respected educator and scholar. Dr. Lerone A. Martin is the Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University and a leading national voice on religion, race, and American public life. An award-winning scholar and educator, his work has been featured by NPR, PBS, and The New York Times. Thursday, October 2 at 5:30 p.m., hosted on the Renaissance Stage."
October 1, 2025 at 5:56 PM
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Join us as we make history at the King Institute's grand opening on October 14th!

Register here: conta.cc/4mxQxYrs
The invitation to the King Institute's October 14th grand opening on the Stanford campus lists featured speakers for the event, including Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, Evan Spiegel, Dr. Lerone Martin, and Marina Limón. The event will also feature remarks from School of Humanities and Sciences Dean Debra Satz and Stanford President Jonathan Levin.
September 24, 2025 at 4:47 PM
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62 years ago, white supremacists bombed Birmingham's Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, killing four young girls: Cynthia Dionne Wesley, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Rosamond Robertson, and Carol Denise McNair. In the aftermath, Virgil Ware and Johnny Robinson, both teenage boys, were also murdered.
The 25 February 2010 photograph shows the interior of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Photograph by Carol M. Highsmith, courtesy of The George F. Landegger Collection of Alabama Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
September 19, 2025 at 7:46 PM
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"We still have a choice today: nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation. We must move past indecision to action . . . Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world." --Martin Luther King, Jr., "Beyond Vietnam," 4 April 1967
September 11, 2025 at 8:58 PM
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The Kings recently explored the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute's new exhibits with Director Dr. Lerone Martin. Come check them out for yourself at our Grand Opening on October 14th!
Director Dr. Lerone Martin shows the King family exhibits on Dr. King's life within the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute's new office on Stanford's campus. Dr. Lerone Martin shows the King family an exhibit on Dr. King's life within the new office space for the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute. Members of the King family examine a document within the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute's new exhibit on Dr. King's life. Martin Luther King III sits and laughs at a conference table with Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute Director Dr. Lerone Martin.
September 9, 2025 at 12:06 AM
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This Labor Day weekend, we were honored to welcome @officialmlk3.bsky.social and his family to the new home of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute! Thank you Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, and Yolanda Renee King for your continued support of our work.
King Institute director Dr. Lerone Martin shows the King family the Institute's new exhibit on Dr. King's life while current staff and students converse at the conference table. The King family speaks with current King Institute students within the Institute's new conference room and exhibit. The King family poses with King Institute staff and students as well as other members of the Stanford community within the King Institute's new conference room and exhibit. The King family poses with King Institute staff and students within the King Institute's new conference room and exhibit.
September 5, 2025 at 6:52 PM
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#OnThisDay in 1963, 200,000 demonstrators gathered for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In the final address of the day, following musical performances and speeches from other leaders, King departed from his prepared remarks to speak extemporaneously about his dream for the nation.
The photograph depicts a procession of March on Washington demonstrators, many of whom are holding signs demanding equal rights, integrated schools, decent housing, and an end to bias. The two women in the foreground are sisters Delores Coleman (left) and Elsie Eatman (right). Photograph by Warren K. Leffler, courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
August 28, 2025 at 5:29 PM
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We are excited to invite you to the grand opening of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute’s new home on the Main Quad at Stanford University. Please join us as we open our doors to Stanford and the broader community!
The image invites the viewer to the grand opening of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. A 4:00 p.m. panel discussion at Stanford Memorial Church will be followed by a 5:00 p.m. tour and reception in Building 370.
August 26, 2025 at 11:15 PM
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61 years ago, the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) challenged the all-white Democratic Party delegation at the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey, arguing that their biracial delegation better represented the will of all Mississippi citizens.
In the photograph, MFDP supporters hold signs outside of the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Some of the signs read, “Freedom Now,” “We Shall Overcome,” and “Give Democracy a Boost! Support Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.” Other signs highlight the need for representation for Mississippi’s Black citizens and mourn the recent murders of civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman. Photograph by Warren K. Leffler, courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
August 22, 2025 at 5:22 PM
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#OTD in 1962, King led a prayer service at the ruins of southwest Georgia's Shady Grove Baptist Church. The church, which had also been a center for voting clinics and registration classes, was 1 of 8 Black churches that was burned down or bombed in the region between August and September 1962.
The photograph depicts a long line of individuals waiting to vote in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1965. Photograph by Bob Fitch, courtesy of the Bob Fitch Photography Archive, Stanford University Libraries.
August 15, 2025 at 6:29 PM
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Today we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The bill abolished literacy tests and enabled the federal government to oversee voter registration in counties with histories of discrimination.
In the 6 August 1965 photograph, President Lyndon B. Johnson hands John Lewis one of the pens he used to sign the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law; James Farmer looks on behind Lewis. King, Ralph Abernathy, and other civil rights leaders were also present for the ceremony. Photograph by Robert Knudsen, courtesy of the LBJ Presidential Library.
August 6, 2025 at 5:52 PM