SYNOPSIS: Martin King Luther Jr. Day arrives this year in the midst of an ongoing assault on his legacy and the accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement at both the national and — in the South — state levels. So this week we spend a little time listening to MLK the man, the leader, the strategist, the philosopher and preacher, who articulated a clear vision for moral and political progress in the United States and across the globe. His work was much broader, and his goals more specific, than the small portions of the "I Have a Dream" speech that gets trotted out every year. Here are some extended excerpts from him, from across his career. Also: It's January, which means many of our state legislatures are back in session. We check in on an aggressive package of immigration enforcement bills in Tennessee, questions about school vouchers in Alabama, and electoral politics coloring things in the Georgia State Assembly. Plus: a memoriam for Claudette Colvin, who became a civil rights pioneer as a teenager and died last week.

SHOW NOTES: "Rediscovering Lost Values" MLK (1954) Audio Transcript "The Birth of a New Nation" MLK (1957) Audio Transcript KCTA Interview w/MLK (1959) The "I Have a Dream" Speech MLK (1963) Audio Transcript "Eulogy for the Martyred Children" MLK (1963) Audio & Transcript "Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech" MLK (1964) Audio & Transcript "Beyond Vietnam — A Time to Break the Silence" MLK (1967) Audio Transcript "I've Been to the Mountaintop" MLK (1968) Audio Transcript "Immigration policy fights expected to take center stage as Tennessee Legislature reconvenes" Tennessee Lookout "Tennessee GOP wants to track K-12 student immigration status" Chalkbeat Tennessee "Busy first day set to kick off 2026 legislative session in Georgia" Georgia Recorder "Georgia Democrats unveil bills designed to rein in federal immigration agents" Georgia Recorder "Alabama Legislature 2026 preview: Let's get this over with" Alabama Reflector "Judge temporarily blocks Alabama rule saying voucher students can't play sports for a year" Associated Press "Civil rights activist Claudette Colvin dies at 86" The 19th "Before Rosa Parks, There Was Claudette Colvin" NPR

CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764