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Primary sourceBook1959

The Measure of a Man

Martin Luther King Jr. · 1959

A short 1959 book of meditations by Martin Luther King Jr. on human dignity.

A primary written work showing King's early reflections on human dignity.

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What it is

The Measure of a Man is a short book written by Martin Luther King Jr. and published in 1959.

Why it matters

This book shows King's thinking about human dignity and worth, ideas that underpinned his later work in the civil rights movement.

Look closer

  • What does the title suggest about what King believed defined a person's worth?
  • Why might King have chosen to write short meditations rather than a longer book?
  • What questions does this source leave unanswered about the time it was written?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Martin Luther King Jr. on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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