On Second Thought

The 1999 Disney made-for-television movie, “Selma, Lord, Selma,” explores Martin Luther King Jr.'s later years in Selma, Alabama. The movie is told through the eyes of an 11-year-old inspired by King's determination in the fight for equal rights.

The life of Martin Luther King Jr. has been the subject of a number of films. The made-for-television film, “The Boy King,” t ells the story of his youth. The WSB-TV movie focuses on early prejudices King encountered in his childhood and how his family responded.

Civil rights icon Xernona Clayton was both the organizer of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and a close advisor to Martin Luther King Jr. She sat down with On Second Thought for a conversation about how King would feel about today's civil rights movem ents.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee. So, in the last 50 years, how has the civil rights movement evolved, and where is it headed?

April 4, 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr. Today, we paid tribute to King's legacy by talking to the people who knew him, portrayed him and were inspired by him.

Nearly a decade after Martin Luther King Jr's death, President Jimmy Carter posthumously awarded King the Presidential Medal of Freedom . The activist's widow, Coretta Scott King, accepted the award on his behalf. On Second Thought producer Sean Powers took us back to that day at the White House with an audio postcard.

On April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. A new book, "The Heavens Might Crack" by historian Jason Sokol , explores the public’s reaction to King's death. We talked with the author about how he delved into the different stories behind these reactions. https://youtu.be/cmOBbxgxKvo?t=21s

Georgia Congressman John Lewis is a man who wears many hats. He is a civil rights leader, a principled politician and a graphic novelist. We talked to him about his three-part graphic memoir, "March," which tells the story of the civil rights movement from Lewis's perspective.

In August 1967 , Martin Luther King Jr. spoke in Atlanta at the annual convention of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference . Less than a year later, he was killed in Memphis, Tennessee. We talked with Xernona Clayton , an advisor to King and one of the conference planners. https://youtu.be/Yu3CK4a1xLk

In this rare 1961 interview with Martin Luther King Jr ., King spoke with Eleanor Fischer, a reporter with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation who later worked for National Public Radio. In the interview, King reflects on childhood run-ins with racial prejudice in Atlanta. This interview was uncovered by archivist Andy Lanset and the WNYC archives. Interview Highlights: Eleanor Fischer: We're you aware of racial prejudices while growing up in Atlanta? Martin Luther King Jr: I was raised and