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Vol. 26:1 ISSN 0160-8460 March 1998
The Documentary Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
At a reception in the U.S. Capitol in February 1992, Mrs. Coretta Scott King formally announced the publication of the first volume of The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. This volume, subtitled Called to Serve: January 1929 - June 1951, includes King's early letters to his parents, friends, and to various newspapers, as well as papers and exams from his early school days through his years at Morehouse College and Crozer Theological Seminary. King's commitment to justice for all people was evident even during these early years. In 1944, as a junior in high school, King wrote, "As we gird ourselves to defend democracy from foreign attack, let us see to it that increasingly at home we give fair play and free opportunity for all people."
Reflecting a widespread popular interest in Dr. King, sales of this first volume have exceeded 8,000. As exhibited by this figure, the volume reached an audience considerably beyond that which is typical for a documentary edition. As Ebony magazine noted after the publication of volume I, its publication was "one of those rare publishing events that generate as much excitement in the cloistered confines of the academy as they do in the general public."
Project director Clayborn Carson
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc., in Atlanta initiated the King Papers Project in 1984 as part of its ongoing archival and educational activities. In 1985, Coretta Scott King selected Stanford University history professor Clayborn Carson as the project's senior editor and director. The University of California Press was selected in 1987 to publish the project's volumes. In 1988, Emory University began assisting the project, providing offices and access to its libraries for project staff members and salaries for Emory students assisting the editors.
Although King's writings and speeches have been published in many forms, the King Papers Project's 14-volume, chronological edition will be, by far, the most comprehensive and thoroughly researched compilation of information regarding the African-American leader's life and thought. The edition is more than simply an anthology of speeches and writings; it is instead a guide to the vast amount of information that has been identified and assembled by the project. Reviewers have applauded the initial volumes as meeting the varied needs of scholars, interested students, and general readers.
Photograph by Earl McDonald, National Archives and Records Administration
The extensive acquisition and research efforts of the King Papers Project have already produced original and widely publicized revelations regarding King's formative years and academic writings. Indeed, the project's work has been discussed in more than one hundred substantial newspaper and magazine articles. In addition to the overwhelming response to the publication of volume I, positive critical responses have also greeted Volume II: Rediscovering Precious Values, September 1951-November 1955, published in 1994, which includes Dr. King's earliest recorded sermon, and Volume III: Birth of a New Age, December 1955-December 1956, published in 1997, which documents King's leadership of the Montgomery bus boycott movement. Future volumes are scheduled for publication every other year.
Recently, the project staff was allowed access to numerous King documents which had not previously been made available for study. Among these documents are many of Dr. King's early sermons. Due to their extreme significance to the study of King's personal and theological development, these early sermons will be published together as volume V in the series.
By documenting King's religious roots as well as his relationships with other local, national, and international leaders, the project seeks to clarify the sources and impact of King's distinctive ideas and leadership style. King's writings and public statements offer valuable insights regarding important historical and theological issues, such as the social impact of African-American religion and the relationship between King and the mass movements with which he was associated. This definitive edition also documents King's views on various issues of continuing significance, including the search for solutions to the problems of violence and social injustice.
