From a preeminent King scholar, the origin story of the man, minister, and civil rights hero who would lead the nation and change the world.
We know who Martin Luther King, Jr. became, but who was he at the beginning of his life? How did his youth inform his outlook and his approach to activism and service?
Before Martin Luther King, Jr. was a civil rights leader, the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and a global hero, he was an emotional boy, and a middling high school student devoted to fashion, dancing, and dating. As he headed to college, he left the Jim Crow South for a summer job that would test his oratory skills preaching in the tobacco fields of Connecticut and ultimately give him a sense of hope for a life of racial peace and harmony.
Lerone A. Martin, Centennial Professor at Stanford University and the Faculty Director of the Martin Luther King Institute, traces the youthful roots of this legendary American to reveal the makings of a mighty force. Filled with revelations and written with compassion, Young King offers a new understanding of the influential preacher and activist’s emotional life, his youthful confusion about his future and career direction, his inspiration to fight for justice, his teenage missteps, and his first revelations of courage. As America undergoes another era of turmoil and change, this powerful biography offers encouragement for readers at a similar moment of life and provides an understanding of how greatness comes to light.
Martin illuminates both King’s weaknesses and the social failures that shaped him, including the brutal racism he endured growing up. This vital and essential work is a testament to how history shapes a leader.
Young King includes rarely seen black-and-white photographs of an adolescent MLK from his high school days and college years.
Lerone A. Martin is the Martin Luther King, Jr., Centennial Professor in Religious Studies and director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. Dr. Martin is an internationally recognized award-winning author and public speaker. His writing and commentary have been featured on the Today show, the History Channel, PBS, NPR, and C-SPAN as well as in the New York Times and the Boston Globe. He currently serves as senior editor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project and was an adviser on the PBS documentary series Gospel. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Martin will be in conversation with Kim Martin, who joined KIPP DC in January 2025 as a Deputy Chief of School Transformation. In this role, she has focused on driving systemic change and enhancing educational outcomes across the network’s schools. Kim is a native of Ohio and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in English and History from Case Western Reserve University, followed by a Master’s degree in Secondary Education from John Carroll University. Once in DC, she furthered her academic pursuits with an Executive Master’s in Leadership and a Certificate in Leadership Coaching, both from Georgetown University and she culminated her educational journey with a Doctorate in Education from American University. Prior to joining KIPP DC, Kim held the position of Instructional Superintendent for DC Public Schools. With a career spanning over 18 years as a high school principal, Kim served as a principal in DC, Ohio, and Colorado. When Kim isn’t working, she can be found listening to live music at the VFW, where she serves on the Auxiliary, or she can be found cooking, hiking, or riding her Peloton. She also serves on the board of the Urban Adventure Squad, which promotes outdoor education for DC youth. Kim lives with her son and her husband in Takoma Park, MD with their two dogs, Rosco and Charlie Brown.