In 1983, the United States Congress made the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. a federal holiday, first celebrated on January 20, 1986.  Beginning in 1986, and every January thereafter, Cleveland Public Library has celebrated and honored the life and legacy of Dr. King with a program at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch. Join us this year on Monday, January 18, 2010, at 1:00 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Branch (1962 Stokes Boulevard) in Cleveland. Themed “A Legacy of Leadership,” the panel discussion will be moderated by State Senator Nina Turner who will engage local leaders to reflect on Dr. King’s impact on today’s society.

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When viewing images from our past we are often overcome with a desire to experience historical events firsthand.  A thorough study of history using primary and secondary sources can help us “experience” past events that have long since passed us by.

A primary source is typically created by the historical group or person we are interested in. These are sources that require some analysis on our part; they free us to form our own opinions. A secondary source is a source that contains analysis by another person based on the primary source. The benefit of secondary sources is that they illuminate the documents we are interested in by exposing us to different viewpoints.