Rotary Club of Atlanta West End President Victoria Seals welcomed Dr. Vicki Crawford, Director of the Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection and Endowed Chair of Civil and Human Rights, for a rich, informative and enthusiastic presentation on the history, stewardship, and contemporary relevance of Dr. King’s papers. The meeting also included club business, guest welcomes, member introductions, and a DEI moment recognizing National Religious Freedom Day and honoring the legacy of civil rights activist Claudette Colvin.

Dr. Crawford opened by situating the King Collection within its historical context. Following the death of Coretta Scott King, coordinated efforts led by then-Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young, and Mrs. Evelyn Lowry, kept the collection of Dr. King's papers in Atlanta. The materials were ultimately acquired and gifted to Morehouse College, Dr. King’s alma mater, ensuring both public access and educational use.

The collection is extensive and unusually personal. It includes approximately 1,500 books from Dr. King’s personal library, many annotated in his own handwriting, along with college transcripts, blue books, sermon notes, speech drafts, correspondence, and other primary materials. Dr. Crawford emphasized that these documents allow scholars and students to trace Dr. King’s intellectual development over time, revealing interests in environmental ethics, African and African American history, world religions, and the philosophy of nonviolent resistance.

Dr. Crawford then explored Dr. King’s educational formation. Raised in Atlanta within a family of ministers, Dr. King was an avid reader from an early age, regularly visiting the Auburn Avenue library. He entered Morehouse College at age fifteen and graduated at nineteen. While not initially a standout student academically, his intellectual trajectory accelerated at Crozer Theological Seminary and later at Boston University, where he earned his PhD in theology. Dr. Crawford highlighted the formative role of Morehouse’s chapel, where students were exposed to global leaders and ideas, including early introductions to Mahatma Gandhi and nonviolent resistance.

The collection today supports multiple missions: teaching, research, scholarship, and community engagement. Dr. Crawford underscored that teaching remains the primary commitment. Through a 2013 National Endowment for the Humanities grant, the collection has been used to develop instructional resources for public school teachers. The University of Georgia Press has also published a growing book series grounded in the collection’s materials. Among Dr. King’s works, Dr. Crawford highlighted Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community as especially relevant to current social challenges, noting that community discussion guides are available to support civic dialogue.

The collection also broadens historical understanding by documenting the contributions of figures often overlooked, including Coretta Scott King and movement strategist Dr. Vincent Harding, who drafted Dr. King’s “Beyond Vietnam” speech and later served as a scholar in residence at Morehouse.

The program concluded with reminders that the King Collection is accessible through viewings at Morehouse College and rotating exhibits at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Dr. Crawford’s presentation reinforced the enduring relevance of primary sources, disciplined scholarship, and education grounded in moral inquiry. Members expressed appreciation for her stewardship of the collection and for the reminder that Dr. King’s legacy is best honored through study, reflection, and informed action in community.

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Jared Evans & Neil Shorthouse, Keyway Speaker Reporters