St. Louis On The Air

The impact of Martin Luther King Jr. continues to influence various civil rights movements today. Washington University will commemorate the late civil rights leader at 7 p.m., Monday, in Graham Chapel. On Friday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Don Marsh talked to Vernon Mitchell Jr., curator of Popular American Arts and Culture in the Department of Special Collections at Washington University. Mitchell talked about his research and the message he plans to deliver as part of the university's commemoration. He studies the impact of African-American art and culture on movements and popular culture. In his speech, Mitchell wants to reclaim King. “What I try to do when I teach about Dr. King is I try to humanize him. I try to take him off of the pedestal,” Mitchell said. “Not in a way that is sensational. I try to understand him as a man, as a human being.” Mitchell said that allows students to resonate with the iconic leader. During the civil rights movement, King remained hopeful in spite