Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr
Martin Luther King, Jr. What do you think of when you hear that name. You're probably thinking of his "I Have a Dream" speech, right? Have you ever thought about what he did, who he actually was, or even, "is he still alive?" The answer to that last question is no. He is not alive.
Martin
Luther King, Jr was the leader of the African-American civil rights group. He
was known for his non-violent ways, and his use of civil disobedience. He first
arrived in Tennessee on Wednesday, April 3rd 1968, to help prepare
for a march the following Monday, for the striking Memphis sanitation workers.
He was getting ready for a dinner with the Memphis minister, Samuel
Kyles. As he was getting ready, he stepped out onto the balcony of room 306 to
speak with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) representative
standing in the parking lot below. A shot was fired by an assassin that caused
severe wounds on the lower parts of Martin’s face. The SCLC rushed to his aid.
The shot seemed to have come from the rear of a boarding house on the
south main street.
On Thursday, April 4th, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated at 6:05pm, on the balcony of his second floor room of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tennessee. Later that night, he was driven to St. Joseph’s Hospital, and was pronounced dead that very evening, at 7:05pm. Martin Luther King, Jr died at the age of 39.
James Earl Ray was charged with the crime of Martin Luther King, Jr’s murder, and was arrested on June 8th, 1969 at the Heathrow Airport in London, England. He was originally a fugitive from the Missouri State Prison. On March 1oth, 1969, he was sentenced to 99 years in the Tennessee State Prison. He died in the Tennessee State Prison at the age of 70, on April 23rd, 1998.
During Martin Luther King, Jr’s funeral, a video was played that Martin filmed himself. He explained how he wanted to be remembered after he passed away and said “I’d like someone to mention someday, that Martin Luther King, Jr tried to give his life serving others.
In the couple of days after Martin Luther King, Jr’s death, the president Lyndon B. Johnson announced that there would be a national day of mourning on April 7th, 1968. On that day, all public libraries, schools, and businesses were closed. The day after the march that Martin came to Memphis to do, his funeral was held at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Over 100,000 people who were mourning the death of Martin Luther King, Jr followed two donkeys that were pulling his coffin through the streets of Atlanta Georgia. His body was first set to rest at the South-View Cemetery, but was later moved closer to the Ebenezer Baptist Church at the King Centre. The King Centre was an institution that Martin Luther King, Jrs wife, founded.
The death of Martin Luther King, Jr was a shock to everyone. He died at such a young age, and stood up for what he believed in. But at least we can remember that he tried to give his life serving others, just like he wanted us to.
On Thursday, April 4th, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated at 6:05pm, on the balcony of his second floor room of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tennessee. Later that night, he was driven to St. Joseph’s Hospital, and was pronounced dead that very evening, at 7:05pm. Martin Luther King, Jr died at the age of 39.
James Earl Ray was charged with the crime of Martin Luther King, Jr’s murder, and was arrested on June 8th, 1969 at the Heathrow Airport in London, England. He was originally a fugitive from the Missouri State Prison. On March 1oth, 1969, he was sentenced to 99 years in the Tennessee State Prison. He died in the Tennessee State Prison at the age of 70, on April 23rd, 1998.
During Martin Luther King, Jr’s funeral, a video was played that Martin filmed himself. He explained how he wanted to be remembered after he passed away and said “I’d like someone to mention someday, that Martin Luther King, Jr tried to give his life serving others.
In the couple of days after Martin Luther King, Jr’s death, the president Lyndon B. Johnson announced that there would be a national day of mourning on April 7th, 1968. On that day, all public libraries, schools, and businesses were closed. The day after the march that Martin came to Memphis to do, his funeral was held at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Over 100,000 people who were mourning the death of Martin Luther King, Jr followed two donkeys that were pulling his coffin through the streets of Atlanta Georgia. His body was first set to rest at the South-View Cemetery, but was later moved closer to the Ebenezer Baptist Church at the King Centre. The King Centre was an institution that Martin Luther King, Jrs wife, founded.
The death of Martin Luther King, Jr was a shock to everyone. He died at such a young age, and stood up for what he believed in. But at least we can remember that he tried to give his life serving others, just like he wanted us to.