
A Time to Break Silence: The Essential Works of Martin Luther King, Jr., for Students (King Legacy)
by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Published 2013 by Beacon Press
272 pages
About this book:
The first collection of King’s essential writings for high school students and young people
A Time to Break Silence presents Martin Luther King, Jr.'s most important writings and speeches—carefully selected by teachers across a variety of disciplines—in an accessible and user-friendly volume. Now, for the first time, teachers and students will be able to access Dr. King's writings not only electronically but in stand-alone book form.
Arranged thematically in five parts, the collection includes nineteen selections and is introduced by award-winning author Walter Dean Myers. Included are some of Dr. King’s most well-known and frequently taught classic works, including “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream,” as well as lesser-known pieces such as “The Sword that Heals” and “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?” that speak to issues young people face today.
A Time to Break Silence presents Martin Luther King, Jr.'s most important writings and speeches—carefully selected by teachers across a variety of disciplines—in an accessible and user-friendly volume. Now, for the first time, teachers and students will be able to access Dr. King's writings not only electronically but in stand-alone book form.
Arranged thematically in five parts, the collection includes nineteen selections and is introduced by award-winning author Walter Dean Myers. Included are some of Dr. King’s most well-known and frequently taught classic works, including “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream,” as well as lesser-known pieces such as “The Sword that Heals” and “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?” that speak to issues young people face today.
Recommended in:
- Best Of: A Revelatory Tour of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Forgotten Teachings (Jul 4, 2023) with Brandon Terry
Recommended with:

Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (King Legacy)
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Trumpet of Conscience (King Legacy)
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Sword and the Shield
Andrew, Christopher, Mitrokhin, Vasili

A More Beautiful and Terrible History: The Uses and Misuses of Civil Rights History
Jeanne Theoharis

Dark Ghettos
Tommie Shelby

From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America
Elizabeth Hinton