Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Poor People’s Campaign of 1968 by Robert Hamilton. This book introduces new audiences to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s final initiative, the multiracial Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) of 1968. Robert Hamilton depicts the experiences of poor people who traveled to Washington in May 1968 to dramatize the issue of poverty by building a temporary city, Resurrection City. His narrative allows us to hear their voices and understand the strategies, objectives, and organization of the campaign.

In addition, he highlights the campaign’s educational aspect and frames the PPC as an initiative whose example can teach and inspire current and future generations. The study thus situates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and teachings in relation to current events and further solidifies his cultural and sociopolitical relevance.

In the decades since 1968, we have seen increasing global inequality leading to greater social polarization, including in the United States. Robert Hamilton offers the insight that the radical politics of Dr. King—as represented in the civil rights and human rights agendas of the PPC—can help us understand and address the challenges of this polarization. He highlights Dr. King’s commitment to ending poverty and explains why King’s ideas on this and related issues should be brought to the attention of a wider public, who often view him almost exclusively as a civil rights, but not human rights, leader.

ROBERT HAMILTON is an honorary senior lecturer at Short Courses at the University of Glasgow.

ISBN 978-0-8203-5827-7