martin luther king jr education

Photo of King marching in Philadelphia, Mississippi, June 1966, courtesy of the Bob Fitch Photography Archive, Stanford University Libraries.

To Save the Soul of America

“Somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right. And so just as I say we aren’t going to let any dogs or water hoses turn us around, we aren’t going to let any injunction turn us around. We are going on.” —“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” Address Delivered at Bishop Charles Mason Temple, 3 April 1968. Photo of King and Andrew Young marching in Philadelphia, Mississippi, June 1966, courtesy of the Bob Fitch Photography Archive, Stanford University Libraries.

Welcome to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute

Building upon the achievements of Stanford University's Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project, the King Institute supports a broad range of educational activities illuminating Dr. King's life and the movements he inspired.

The King Papers

A comprehensive collection of Dr. King's most significant correspondence, sermons, speeches, published writings, and unpublished manuscripts.

King Resources

Database with the archival locations of King-related documents, ancillary Institute publications, and recommended readings.

The Institute

News, events, and information about the staff of the King Papers Project.

King Encyclopedia

The Encyclopedia , based on the extensive historical research originally conducted for The Papers , has over 280 articles on civil rights movement figures, events, and organizations.

Explore the King Institute

National history day.

We are always excited to hear from students engaged in historical research about Dr. King. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to respond to all the research requests we receive. Our website offers some of the best primary and secondary sources available and we hope you enjoy the process of discovering new information and ideas about the past and present.

Copyright Notice

The Institute cannot give permission to use or reproduce any of the writings, statements, or images of Martin Luther King, Jr. Please do not contact us for this purpose. To obtain proper authorization for use of Dr. King's works and intellectual property, please contact Intellectual Properties Management (IPM), the exclusive licensor of the Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc. at [email protected] or 404 526-8968. Screenshots are considered by the King Estate a violation of this notice.

Dr. Lerone A. Martin

The second faculty director of the King Institute, Dr. Martin is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University. Previously, he was a member of the faculty at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in Saint Louis.