Martin Luther King, Jr. : Civil Rights Leader (Black Americans of Achievement)

Examines the life of the Baptist minister and civil rights leader who helped American blacks win many battles for equal rights

Grade 7-10-- In this addition to the series, Dr. King emerges as an articulate, effective leader whose oratorical skills and commitment to his ideals propelled him into the national spotlight. In a straightforward manner, Jakoubek describes King's family background, schooling, ministry, and civil rights involvement, showing a man whose philosophy of nonviolence was to test the soul of a nation. On the whole, the portrayal of King is balanced; his anxieties, doubts, and flaws are revealed, as well as the problems he had with those who opposed him or his nonviolent approach. There is a reference to his infidelities and the FBI's attempt to discredit him. The book has numerous familiar photographs, a chronology, and a bibliography that contains a few entries that are either too advanced or too scholarly for the intended age group. For an insightful look into King and the civil rights movement, this will be a useful resource. --Jeanette Lambert, LaVega School, Waco, TX
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