I Am MLK Jr.

Filmmakers John Barbisan and Michael Hamilton effectively drill into the psyche of Martin Luther King Jr. in this excellent documentary, detailing his thinking and strategies for political action. Interviewees who knew and worked closely with King, including Jesse Jackson, John Lewis, and James Lawson, as well as sharp contemporary observers such as Van Jones and a pre-scandal Tavis Smiley, talk about King as a man whose name was synonymous with a nation’s progress in the area of civil rights. All of the usual historical data and chapters in King’s life are presented here, from his origins up through the major victories (and attendant costs on supporters who faced a bloody backlash) and dashed hopes in the struggle, along with a public rebuke in leading newspapers over King’s opposition to the Vietnam War. Both the shrewd and visionary sides of King’s leadership are explored, including his awareness that recruiting high school kids in brutal Birmingham protests would draw more attention to segregationist violence, and his decision to mount the Selma marches—met by violent state troopers—to give Lyndon Johnson the political capital to write the Voting Rights Act. A fine biographical portrait of one man who carried the destiny of many, this is highly recommended. Editor’s Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh)