You can feel the impact of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s history-changing activism and ministry every day, but we do designate one day every calendar year to honor the civil rights hero: his birthday on January 15. And this year, you can learn more about the life and legacy of the American icon with a special screening of the 2018 documentary, I Am MLK, Jr.
The feature-length doc, which was directed by Michael Hamilton and John Barbisan, will be airing on television on The CW on Monday, January 15 from 8 pm to 10 pm ET. The film is readily available for anyone with a traditional pay-TV subscription or TV antenna that receives local station signals, as well as those subscribed to live TV streaming services like Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.
Per The CW, I Am MLK, JR. explores "moments of personal challenge and elation, his legacy and an ongoing movement that is as important today as when Dr. King first shone a light on the plight of his fellow African Americans."
Along with historic videos, audio recordings and photographs, the documentary features intimate, first-hand accounts from Dr. King's friends and fellow civil rights-era activists as well as contemporary writers and other celebrities, including Jesse Jackson, Van Jones, Carmelo Anthony and the Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King. Interviews for the film movingly took place in the historic churches where King preached and are interwoven with gospel music of the era.
And if you're looking for even more content and coverage that celebrates Dr. King, here are some great films to watch on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. You can also check out the recent biographical drama Rustin—which stars Colman Domingo as Bayard Rustin, an advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and one of the architects of the 1963 March on Washington—with a Netflix subscription.
And in a few weeks, you can tune into Genius: MLK/X, a new season of the National Geographic anthology series that will focus on the works of King and Malcolm X (portrayed by Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre, respectively). The premiere will be simulcast on National Geographic and ABC on Thursday, February 1, at 9 pm ET / PT. The episodes will also be available to stream the next day on Hulu and Disney Plus.
