---
title: A Watershed Text Resurfaces
date: 2026-07-14T00:00:00-04:00
author: Ella LaGrange
canonical_url: "https://forward.umd.edu/news/a-watershed-text-resurfaces"
section: News
---
# A Watershed Text Resurfaces

*July 14, 2026* — by Ella LaGrange
> A Remarkable Archival Discovery by MLIS Student Nick Gentry Uncovered a Rare Draft of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Historic "Letter from Birmingham Jail."

On the night of April 12, 1963, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. sat in solitary confinement in an Alabama jail, following his arrest for leading a campaign of marches and sit-ins protesting racism and segregation. A friend had smuggled in that day’s newspaper, which had printed an open letter from eight white clergy members criticizing the demonstrations and King.

- [Continue Reading](https://info.umd.edu/news/mlis-alumni-spotlight-maryland-today-a-watershed-text-resurfaces-ft-nick-gentry-26/)