Baptist minister and political activist (1929–1968) who became the preeminent and most visible leader of the American civil rights movement. Considered a peacemaker throughout the world for his promotion of nonviolence and equal treatment of all peoples, he received the Nobel Peace Prize before he was assassinated in 1968. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004. Martin Luther King Day was established as a federal holiday in his honor in 1986. TLS signed “Martin L. King, Jr.,” one page, 7.25 x 10.5, personal letterhead, October 17, 1958. King, then recovering from a near-fatal stabbing at the hands of Izola Curry, writes to a concerned supporter. In full: “Thank you so much for the lovely letter you wrote to me while I was in Harlem Hospital. I enjoyed reading it. Your kind words and genuine concern come as a great and spiritual lift to me and give me the strength and courage to face the ordeal of this trying period. I am glad to report that I am making good progress and am well on the road to a complete recovery. I hope it will be possible, at some future date, to visit your home and meet your fine family. It warms me, deeply, to know that you are interested in the whole struggle for Civil Rights. May I solicit your prayers and continued good wishes as I prepare to rejoin the ranks of those who are working tirelessly and ceaselessly for the realization of the ideals of Freedom, Brotherhood and Human Dignity.” It was during his recovery from this assault that King began to formulate his philosophy of personal redemption through suffering and to see his survival as a sign that God had spared him for a higher purpose. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope and an unsigned “Crusade For Citizenship” flyer. In fine condition. Auction LOA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
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