Journalist Jonathan Tilove and photographer Michael Falco traveled some of these ways, avenues and streets to tell and show the stories of the people and places who call MLK home.

Their two-year, cross-country odyssey has resulted in the new book, "Along Martin Luther King: Travels on Black America's Main Street."

Tilove will appear at Oakland's own Marcus Books -- itself on Martin Luther King Jr. Way and mentioned in the book -- next weekend for a book-signing.

"It's gorgeous. They did a wonderful job. It's lyrical and insightful, and the photographs are just beautiful," says Blanche Richardson, whose family opened up Marcus Books in 1960. The family now runs two stores in Oakland and one in San Francisco.

"We very seldom have white authors in our store -- they have every other store to go to," Richardson adds. "But Jonathan we've known for a couple of years. He's a really wonderful person and we're looking forward to having him here."

Besides Marcus Books, other Oakland sites and folks in the book include Johnie Wright, the Watermelon King; the Apostolic Church of Deliverance Jesus Name Temple, and Eli's Mile High Club.

Tilove won the Freedom Forum/American Society of Newspaper Editors Award for Outstanding Writing on Diversity in 2003 for the newspaper series the book is based upon.

He appears at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at Marcus Books at 3900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. For more information, call 652-2344.

The Oakland Tribune: Cityside
Leanne McLaughlin, Managing Editor
(510) 208-6447
(510) 208-6477 Fax##
lmclaughlin@angnewspapers.com Email