Lerone Martin, a distinguished expert in Black religious history, is at the helm of the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. His latest publication, titled Young King: The Making of Martin Luther King Jr., has roots that are both “professional and personal.”
In a professional context, Martin discovered previously unseen details regarding the early life of the civil rights icon, focusing on King’s upbringing in Atlanta, his education at Morehouse College, and his time at Crozer Theological Seminary in Upland, Pennsylvania. A significant event occurred in 1944, when King, at the age of 15, traveled north from Georgia to spend a summer working in the tobacco fields of Simsbury, Connecticut. This experience is recognized as a pivotal moment that influenced King’s decision to follow in his father’s footsteps as a preacher and to engage in the civil rights movement. However, Martin identified an underutilized aspect of this narrative.
“We possess five letters that King wrote from Connecticut, in which he discusses his experiences outside the Jim Crow South,” Martin explained. “In my readings about King, I had never encountered anyone who delved into this aspect in depth. This realization prompted me to explore his origin story.”
On a personal level, Martin’s motivation for writing Young King also stemmed from his own family experiences. In 2022, the same year he joined Stanford, he got married.
“I have two stepsons, and my wife and I welcomed a third son together. Observing them at various stages of their lives and contemplating the responsibilities of parenting—what it takes to raise a responsible and committed individual—sparked my interest,” Martin shared.
His children also played a crucial role in his inspiration.
“All the Marvel movies my sons are so fond of made me think. Every superhero has a backstory. This led me to ponder Martin Luther King Jr.’s backstory, which ultimately contributed to the creation of this book,” Martin reflected.
A graphic novel adaptation of Young King is also in development. Martin’s research included visiting his son’s fifth-grade class, where he shared insights about King at their age. He invited the students to offer their ideas for the graphic novel, receiving valuable feedback. “For that brief 25 to 30 minutes, I felt like a rock star rather than just ‘dad,’” he remarked. “I am thrilled about the journey of creating the graphic novel.”
King’s life began in Atlanta on January 15, 1929, as the eldest son of a well-known Baptist minister. Although he enjoyed a comfortable upbringing, he, like all Black children in the South, grew up under the oppressive weight of Jim Crow laws. Martin describes how King’s parents endeavored to shield him from everyday racism, imparting the same “talk” to King that many Black parents give their children today about interactions with law enforcement. In the summer of 1947, at the age of 18, King returned to Connecticut for a second summer, where he encountered police after attending a party.
Researching well-documented figures often reveals gaps in historical records. Information regarding King’s experiences in Connecticut is limited. A friend’s retrospective account and “rumors of teenage revelry” emerged, but as Martin noted, “there is no documentation of an arrest, jail time, or citation.” He sought any city records related to the incident.
“When I couldn’t locate that information, I shifted my focus to researching the area during that time,” Martin recounted. “I found newspapers expressing concern over an influx of rural Southern migrants, with locals attributing rising crime rates to them. This context proved useful.”
He also discovered a book by Fay Clarke Johnson, a Jamaican author examining the experiences of Jamaican tobacco workers in Connecticut during the same period. These workers reported feeling targeted by police and unwelcome in public establishments.
Finally, Martin turned his attention to the FBI’s activities in 1947, acknowledging that the agency was scrutinizing 18-year-olds, associating them with crime. “Martin King was 18 at that time,” he pointed out.
This theme is not unfamiliar to Martin, whose previous work, The Gospel of J Edgar Hoover: How the FBI Aided and Abetted the Rise of White Christian Nationalism, examined the FBI’s relentless pursuit of King as an adult and the broader implications of Jim Crow.
In a pivotal section of Young King, Martin reflects on travel under Jim Crow laws. He notes that as King moved north, he was still shadowed by Southern racism. Martin highlights the significance of trains in Black culture, symbolizing escape and hope, as seen in numerous gospel songs. “The train represented a crucial element in Black life, particularly during the Great Migration, yet it was also a space where many were forced to confront the painful reality of their societal status,” Martin elaborated.
Interestingly, King was not the only future Black leader working in the Simsbury fields that summer. Malcolm Little, later known as Malcolm X, was also there, selling suits for a Boston tailor shortly before his incarceration and subsequent transformation. While there is no historical record of a meeting between King and Little, Martin allowed himself to ponder the possibility.
With a chuckle, he recounted, “My editor, Biz Mitchell, reminded me: ‘This is a beautiful idea, but make it clear to the readers that there’s no evidence they actually met.’ It’s a compelling thought, one that could easily fit into a novel or play. What conversations might these two young men have had? They were on diverging paths, with King at a point of grappling with his feelings towards white people, yet…”
