The Hit Song that Gave Us MLK Day
· 28 min · S5 E17
Episode The Hit Song that Gave Us MLK Day
January 15, 1969. It's been less than a year since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Friends, family, and followers are gathered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Dr. King preached. They are there to remember him on his birthday, honor his legacy, and present a goal: an official celebration of his birthday every year, a holiday to commemorate his life and his struggle.
Getting a holiday passed may sound like a bureaucratic formality, but it would become a years-long battle, mainly led by his widow, Coretta Scott King. And without an assist from a musical legend, it may have never come to be.
Why was this holiday so controversial? And how did a still-popular song change the tide in this battle?
Special thanks to Kevin Gaines, Julian Bond Professor of Civil Rights and Social Justice at the University of Virginia; and Crystal Sanders, historian and associate professor of African American studies at Emory University.
To stay updated: historythisweekpodcast.com
Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them. Explicit shows are for adult profiles only, and children’s profiles hear only children’s shows. More about this list.