"In the Spirit of Martin, the companion publication to the Smithsonian Institution major traveling exhibition of the same name, demonstrates through the visual arts, the enduring influence and importance of the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. King's deeds and beliefs first awakened artists during the dramatic days of the Civil Rights Movement.".

"The art of In the Spirit of Martin was selected from many hundreds of works gathered through an extensive national search. Included are many important African American artists such as Elizabeth Catlett, Kerry James Marshall, Glenn Ligon, Raymond Saunders, Charles White, Faith Ringgold, and Jacob Lawrence.

The artists' works are represented alongside other of the most widely acclaimed artists of the last half century - creators as diverse as Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Paul Cadmus, and Norman Rockwell. In the Spirit of Martin also presents the works of self-taught artists, many of whom have lived in relative obscurity within the South that Martin Luther King strove to liberate and transform.

These folk and vernacular artists demonstrate King's impact throughout all areas of American life and art."--BOOK JACKET.