Dr. Lerone Martin

Biography

Lerone Martin is the Martin Luther King, Jr., Centennial Professor in the Department of Religious Studies and the Department of African and African American Studies at Stanford University. He is the Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research Education Institute and serves as Senior Editor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project. An award-winning author, Martin's latest book, "Young King: Making Martin Luther King, Jr.," chronicles the overlooked adolescence of Martin Luther King, Jr. and is set to be published by HarperCollins in 2026. His previous works include "The Gospel J. Edgar Hoover: FBI Aided Abetted Rise White Christian Nationalism" (2023) and "Preaching Wax: Phonograph Making Modern African American Religion," which received the 2015 book award from the American Society of Church History. Martin has received numerous fellowships from notable institutions, such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Council of Learned Societies. He has also secured multi-million dollar grants for significant research projects to advance public understanding of African American religions. In addition to his academic work, Martin has been featured in various media, contributing to programs on NBC, PBS, and NPR, and advising on acclaimed documentaries related to gospel music and preaching.

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