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How Martin Luther King, Jr. Lit Up the World

Journalist Taylor Branch says most histories of the African American civil rights movement written by white people are missing heart and context. He seeks to avoid this pitfall in his new book, Parting the Waters. Branch joins Fresh Air to discuss the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. in black churches, and how John F. Kennedy and J. Edgar Hoover attempted to control him for their own ends.

27:43
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Other segments from the episode on December 5, 1988

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, December 5, 1988: Interview with Taylor Branch; Review of Fred Astaire's album "The Astaire Story"; Interview with Carolyn Heilbrun; Review of the television show "Roots:…
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06:38

A Double Album of Fred Astiare

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says the movie star had a range of about six notes, but he had personality and a swinging house band. Yet Astaire deserves praise for making famous several songs which later became standards.

Review
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09:45

Feminist Writer Carolyn Heilbrun

Literature professor and writer Carolyn Heilbrun writes about women's issues under her own name, and detective novels under the pseudonym Amanda Cross. She believes that the path forward for feminism is androgyny and a greater blurring of gender roles and identities.

Interview
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03:21

A New Chapter in the "Roots" Saga

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new ABC special, Roots: The Gift, which revisits protagonist Kunta Kinte. He says it's a true successor to the original miniseries, and exceeds it in quality.

Review

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Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.

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49:13

Author Taylor Branch

Terry Gross talks with author Taylor Branch, who has written the third in a trilogy of biographies on Martin Luther King Jr. The book is called At Canaan's Edge.

Interview

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