This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, deepen your understanding of the history of civil rights in America by listening to the voices of people who lived it. Below is a collection of StoryCorps conversations between civil rights activists, trailblazers, and loved ones about Martin Luther King Jr. and the enduring legacy of the civil rights movement.
Help us honor the many voices of the civil rights movement by recording the stories of someone you know. By sitting down with someone you love for a StoryCorps conversation, you’re showing them that their stories matter and preserving them for generations. You can record in person using the StoryCorps App, or remotely using StoryCorps Connect.
We Go Up Together Or We Go Down Together
On this episode of the StoryCorps podcast, we revisit the final hours of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life through the experiences of some people who were there with him. Read the full transcript here.
Dr. King Did His Own Eulogy
Clara Jean Ester, 72, remembers bearing witness to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s final speech in 1968, and rushing to his side the next day when he was assassinated. Read the full transcript here.
How Dr. King Inspired a Young John Lewis
Congressman John Lewis remembers how Dr. King’s words inspired him to join the Civil Rights Movement. Read the full transcript here.
We Walked From Sunup to Sunset
Lawrence Cumberbatch tells his son Simeon about what it was like to be present on the podium behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Read the full transcript here.
When Dr. King Drove Down the Street
Tom Houck shares memories of dropping out of high school in 1965 to fight for civil rights, and becoming Dr. King’s personal driver. Read the full transcript here.
A More Perfect Union
When Theresa Burroughs came of voting age, she was ready to cast her ballot — but she had a long fight ahead of her. During the Jim Crow era, the board of registrars at Alabama’s Hale County Courthouse prevented African American people from registering to vote. Undeterred, Theresa remembers venturing to the courthouse on the first and third Monday of each month, in pursuit of her right to vote. Read the full transcript.
The 1960 Atlanta boycott
In 1960, as the presidential race between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon was coming to a close, more than seventy thousand African American students were chanting “Freedom now.” But it was as if their efforts were invisible, with neither candidate addressing the turmoil sweeping through the South. So Lonnie C. King, a Civil Rights leader from Atlanta, decided it was time to take action. To build momentum, he turned to a childhood friend—Martin Luther King Jr.—for support. At StoryCorps, Lonnie reflected on his legacy in a conversation with his friend, Sarah Cook, before he passed away in 2019 at the age of 82. Read the full transcript here.
Albert and Aidan Sykes
When 9-year-old Aidan Sykes sat down to interview his dad, Albert Sykes, he had some serious questions. Albert, who runs an education nonprofit and mentors kids who are struggling in school, talked to Aidan about Black fatherhood, and his hopes for his son’s future. Read the full transcript here.