Remembering MLK Through Topps Trading Cards

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has been rightly celebrated through books, film, murals, and even a national holiday. As such, there is no shortage of ways to learn about the life and legacy of one of the greatest Americans of all time. Not surprisingly, the civil rights leader and icon has even appeared on several Topps trading cards over the years. Some are extremely rare, such as a 2009 "quad-signed" card with signatures of MLK, Barack Obama, Joe Louis, and Jackie Robinson, of which only a single copy was issued. However, most are easy to find, making them affordable and fun ways for collectors to remember this American Hero.

2009 Topps American Heritage #51

Apart from extreme rarities, the first two Topps cards of MLK came in 2009 as part of the 150-card Topps American Heritage set. Card 51 on the checklist, captioned "Civil Rights Leader," might be considered King's "base card" in the set. Collectors with a vintage baseball focus will note the similarity of the card's design to the 1968 Topps baseball issue whose cards hit shelves just weeks before King's April 4 assassination in Memphis. The set's other cards, featuring a who's who of names from American history, mimicked the designs of other historic Topps baseball sets.

2009 Topps American Heritage #123

King's second card in the 2009 Topps American Heritage set might be considered his "In Action" or "Highlights" card as it focuses on his August 28, 1963, March on Washington and "I Have a Dream" speech. While Topps certainly had the chance to make use of its 1963 design as homage, the company went with its 1961 baseball card design instead. The card's image left a bit on the table as well, but fortunately this 2009 offering would not mark the final Topps tribute to this great moment in the life of MLK.

2012 Topps Heritage

Three years after the American Heritage set, King was promoted to a true baseball card set, 2012 Topps Heritage, as part of its News Flashbacks series. Again, MLK was given two cards on the checklist. The first returns to King's 1963 March on Washington and "I Have a Dream" speech with an impeccable image capturing the immense crowd and Washington Monument in the background. (A 2015 card also does a great job with the March.) The second pays respects to King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," which included the famous line, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere." That both cards highlighted events from 1963 was no accident as the entire set was an homage to 1963 Topps baseball.

2013 Topps Heritage

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The civil rights leader returned Topps Heritage the very next year, again as part of the News Flashbacks series. As the 2013 Heritage set paid tribute to 1964 Topps Baseball, the card not only used an imagined 1964-ish design but also focused on King's 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The card's caption, "Peace Prize to a Young Dr. King" is a reminder that King was only 35 years old when he received the prize.

2017 Topps Heritage

When King returned to the Topps Heritage set in 2017, the occasion was a somber one. Captioned "Civil Rights Giant Slain," the card offered a remembrance of King's April 4, 1968, assassination at the tender age of 39.

2009 Topps President Obama Stickers

While the cards profiled so far provide King's bio and spotlight four notable events (March on Washington, Letter from Birmingham Jail, Nobel Peace Prize, Assassination), it is a sticker from a rather niche 2009 Topps issue that turns to his legacy. The 2008 election of President Barack Obama would never have been possible without the efforts and sacrifices of Dr. King, and in the eyes of many Americans the historic election was viewed as the fulfillment of King's "Dream." Just don't flip the sticker over for that history lesson as the back instead focuses on (checks notes) low-flush toilets and showerheads!

2009 Topps President Obama Stickers - reverse | TCDB.com (click image for source page)