The Boyhood of Martin Luther King Jr.

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A short film with the title The Boyhood of Martin Luther King Jr. It consists of a single reel of color 16mm polyester film with optical sound. The film uses voiceover narration, archival photographs, archival film footage as well as reenactments to tell the story of the civil rights leader's childhood. It opens with a discussion of the Nobel Peace Prize before the narrator states that, "On December 10, 1964, this honor went to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.," before moving on to some formative experiences in King's childhood. Some of the events/themes that arise in the film include Dr. King, Jr. being prevented from playing with his white best friend as a boy; the role of the church in Dr. King's upbringing; the role of Rev. King, Sr. and other members of the family in young Dr. King, Jr.'s upbringing; life lessons King, Jr.

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