Did you know that recording artist, Stevie Wonder, created “Happy Birthday” as a single song in the early 80’s to promote the establishment of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a national holiday? This vinyl album is now on display in the library as part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrations on campus.
Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” album
Dr. Tae-Sun Kim, Director of Multicultural Affairs, has provided the library with content or has suggested content for two displays. The first can be found in the Library’s entryway and contains books on Dr. King including The Autobiography of Dr. Martin Luther King, by Martin Luther King; April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Death and How It Changed America, by Mark Lane and Dick Gregory; and Martin & Malcolm & America: A dream or a Nightmare, by James H. Cone. Along with Wonder’s album, it also features the following artifacts:
- The January 3, 1964 edition of Time magazine in which King is declared Man of the Year.
- The April 12, 1968 edition of Life magazine that chronicles the details of King’s murder.
- A set of Martin Luther King, Jr. commemorative stamps.
- A lapel button from the National Holiday March on Washington, D.C. to establish Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a national holiday.
The second display can be seen near the sitting area in front of the Information Desk and features the academic work of various Davidson faculty on the civil rights movement and African American issues. Also included in this display is a facsimile copy of the original of King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” We hope that library visitors will take the opportunity to read this important text and then return it to the display for others to enjoy.
Faculty display
