Photojournalist Flip Schulke first met Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1958 on an assignment for Ebony magazine. Afterwards, picture-taking turned into a private discussion of King's philosophy. The two men, both in their twenties at the time, talked until morning and Schulke saw in King the benevolence, power, and genius capable of changing the face of the country. That evening was the beginning of a friendship and professional relationship that would last the next ten years until King's assassination.

At King's invitation, Schulke began photographing behind the scenes at Southern Christian Leadership Conference meetings; he subsequently devoted himself to covering King and the growing civil rights movement. For a decade, Schulke was as close to King, his family, and his inner circle as a photographer could be.

Whether documenting the awe-inspiring speeches, the harrowing demonstrations and rallies, or simply relaxing with King and his family at their home, he was privy to momentous events both public and private.