WEB On The Web On MLK

I’ve been happy today to see / hear all of the newly found or released recordings of Martin Luther King, Jr. I think it speaks a lot to the importance of audiovisual materials and archives to the formation and continuity of society. I also think Martin Luther King, Jr. would be the first to admit that his work and success was built upon the work of many others that came before him, and would need to be continued by many others after him. In that spirit, from the Dept of Special Collections and University Archives, UMass Amherst, a documentary of the dedication of W.E.B. Du Bois’ homesite in Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1969:

One person can be an inspiration and symbolize much that is beyond his or her original reach, but history is built by the millions. Hopefully that singular inspiration will also create a desire to dig deeper and discover more that history has to offer. Happy researching, and Happy MLK Day!

— Joshua Ranger