New biography explores the full life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

May 10th, 2023

There have been documentaries, films, songs, books, research, exhibits, plays and more devoted to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Now, the civil rights leader’s full life is chronicled in a new biography by best-selling author Jonathan Eig. It’s titled, “King: A Life.” It promises to go beyond the historic speeches, the countless marches of the Civil Rights Movement and beyond the public persona and perception.

The more than 500-page book includes stories from dozens of conversations Eig had with many of King’s closest associates: Former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, the late singer and activist Harry Belafonte, the late activist and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the late minister and civil rights organizer C.T. Vivian, journalist Xernona Clayton and more. However, King’s children chose not to offer their memories for the biography.

Eig gives a detailed account of King’s family tree and the figures that inspired him to lead the Civil Rights Movement. He also researched FBI documents and unaired television interviews to explore how the media and federal government painted a negative public image of King.