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Welcome to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute

Building upon the achievements of Stanford University's Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project, the King Institute supports a broad range of educational activities illuminating Dr. King's life and the movements he inspired.

UPDATE: In response to COVID-19 and in accordance with recently released guidelines from federal, county, and university agencies, our offices are closed until further notice. We regret the inconvenience, but view this step as necessary and in line with other measures on campus. Please continue to visit this website for further updates.

The King Papers

A comprehensive collection of Dr. King's most significant correspondence, sermons, speeches, published writings, and unpublished manuscripts.

King Resources

Database with the archival locations of King-related documents, ancillary Institute publications, and recommended readings. 

The Institute

News, events, and information about the staff of the King Papers Project. 

King Encyclopedia

The Encyclopedia, based on the extensive historical research originally conducted for The Papers, has over 280 articles on civil rights movement figures, events, and organizations.

Home

Explore the King Institute

National History Day

We are always excited to hear from students engaged in historical research about Dr. King. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to respond to all the research requests we receive. Our website offers some of the best primary and secondary sources available and we hope you enjoy the process of discovering new information and ideas about the past and present. For suggested starting resources, click on the link above.

Copyright Notice

The Institute cannot give permission to use or reproduce any of the writings, statements, or images of Martin Luther King, Jr. Please do not contact us for this purpose. To obtain proper authorization for use of Dr. King's works and intellectual property, please contact Intellectual Properties Management (IPM), the exclusive licensor of the Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc. at licensing@i-p-m.com or 404 526-8968. Screenshots are considered by the King Estate a violation of this notice. 

Lerone A. Martin, Stanford Quad

Dr. Lerone A. Martin

The second faculty director of the King Institute, Dr. Martin is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University. Previously, he was a member of the faculty at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in Saint Louis.

Information for

Kids

Suggested readings about the Civil Rights Movement, fun facts, and audio-visual resources. 

Teachers

Primary and secondary sources about the modern African American Freedom Struggle. 

Students

King-related primary and secondary sources and a guide for History Day research. 

Researchers

A database of King-related primary documents and recommended scholarly sources.