Why did he come to St. Augustine, what were his goals, and how did his two appearances impact an already-vibrant local struggle?
The civil rights movement in St. Augustine received national attention when Martin Luther King, Jr. visited the city in 1964. Why did he come to St. Augustine, what were his goals, and how did his two appearances impact an already-vibrant local struggle?
The Lake Wales Public Library is honored to host Dr. J. Michael Butler, Associate Professor of History at Flagler College as he presents “The Magnificent Drama: Martin Luther King in St. Augustine”.
Dr. Butler’s program begins at 6:00 p.m., February 15 in the Library’s Schoenoff Meeting Room.
This presentation places what Dr. King called “the magnificent drama” within context of a movement where local and national objectives both complemented and contradicted each other in ways that continue to impact contemporary race relations.
Dr. J. Michael Butler is the Kenan Distinguished Professor of History at Flagler College in St. Augustine.
He received both his Masters and Doctorate in History from the University of Mississippi, where he specialized in 20th century Southern history, with an emphasis on the Civil Rights Movement.
Dr. Butler’s latest book is Beyond Integration: The Black Freedom Struggle in Escambia County, Florida, 1960-1980. This book was published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2016 and was awarded the Florida Book Award Silver Medal in the General Non-Fiction category the same year.
This program is sponsored by the Lake Wales Library Association – Friends of the Library and is free and open to all.
For details call, 863-678-4005 or email library@cityoflakewales.com.