About this episode
Today, we present an encore 'Full Bio' conversation with author and historian Johnathan Eig, whose book "King: A Life" is the first comprehensive, modern biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in decades. First, we'll hear about Eig's research and writing process, plus the early life of "Little Mike," King's time as a student at Morehouse and the professors who had an impact on him. Then, hear about a young King's romantic interests and his marriage to Coretta Scott, whose activist work predated his own. We also focus on 1955, the year in which the King family moved to Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks refused to move from her bus seat, and King was drafted to lead a movement. Then, we'll hear about MLK's advisors, such as Bayard Rustin, Ralph Abernathy, and Stanley Levison, and discuss some of King's lesser known protests. And finally, we'll explore King's relationships, his disagreements with activist contemporaries, and how his work, including nearly 30 civil disobedience arrests, impacted his mental health. And finally, a look at King's civil rights efforts and priorities in the last months of his life.