Have you ever thought about how Martin Luther King Jr. died? There is different theories that people believe.The most popular way people believe that he died is that he was assassinated standing on a balcony in Memphis, Tennessee, by James Earl Ray. People have believed and accepted this to be the way he died. The conspiracy that goes along with Martin Luther King Jr’s death is that the investigation was still open in 1993. The investigation stated that domestic spies had to do with his death. They think that the government has power enough to have Martin Luther King Jr. killed. Martin Luther KIng Jr. was assassinated by the Government due to being the Civil Rights Movement.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Background
Martin Luther King Jr,
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The American Civil Rights Movement was created to end segregation and to make colored people and whites equal. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings (3). MLK took part in a lot of the movements that were happening included Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, the bus boycott, March on Washington and many other events leading up to his assassination.
In 1955 Martin Luther King Jr. gave his first speech as leader of the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama, and said “ we have no alternative but to protest. For many years we have shown an amazing patience. We have given our white brothers the feeling that we like the way we were being treated. But we come here to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom and justice,” (King, 1955,p.4). Throughout the time of the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. was always encouraging nonviolent protests to help make colored people equal to
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They found fingerprints in the bathroom where Ray had been waiting. According to Biography.com editors (2017) during a trial Ray denied his confession and hinted at a conspiracy, and sought to withdraw his guilty plea and secure a trial. Ray had been brought to trial where he was sentenced to prison for 99 years. He died in prison on April 23,1988. The bullet was examined and there is a strong likelihood that the bullet came from the rifle that was found by the police in the bathroom where Ray was sitting. As soon as the assassination happened Ray took off to Canada then a week later took of to England under a different name on his passport. Ray used a different name to get through, but then was arrested in England. According to Weisberg (2013?) Ray was paid 50,000 dollars and provided with the rifle and ammo to kill Martin Luther King Jr. When James Earl Ray killed Martin Luther King Jr. it was the only way that gave the U.S. Federal Government legal basis for entering the case. This is the government’s version of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. James Earl Ray’s case got the name “Killing the
A search of the area around the boarding house revealed a bundle containing a Remington .30-06 rifle, ammunition, binoculars, and a scope on the sidewalk by the boarding home. During the largest FBI investigation, the rifle was finger printed, eyewitness reports were gathered, and all other evidence gathered led the FBI to a single suspect by the name of James Earl Ray. Ray was a small time criminal and was an escapee from the Missouri State Penitentiary at the time of the assassination (Mary Ferrell, 2017). At the time of his escape, he was serving time in Missouri for robbery. The FBI along with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was able to determine that Ray had obtained a Canadian passport under a false identity of George Raymon Sneyd (Mary Ferrell, 2017). On June 8, 1968, Ray was apprehended at a London airport as he was trying to get to Rhodesia. The United States then extradited Ray back to the United States. Ray went on trial in Memphis, and based off of his attorney’s advice, he plead guilty to shooting and killing King in order to avoid the death penalty. Ray was sentenced to 99 years in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Martin Luther King
MLK once said "We have no alternative but to protest. For many years we have shown an amazing patience. We have sometimes given our white brothers the feeling that we liked the way we were being treated. But we come here tonight to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom and justice."(The Biography.com website). MLK knew that if we used force it would be a disaster and they would never get freedom. While MLK was at Birmingham Jail he wrote about nonviolence for all people to read. He said"Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community, which has constantly refused to negotiate, is forced to confront the issue."(The Biography.com website) So many thought MLK would come and be this guy who would see violence as a tool to use, but when he didn’t people were very supprised that nonviolence was his choice of action. MLK has a family too and it was not only but his family too. They probably wondered all the time if their father would be home that night. Many suffered from these movement acts and wondered if they would be able to kiss their kids goodnight, or see their wifes. Would you be able to not see your dad for weeks or maybe even months? This is why many had patience. They knew what they were fighting for all of them had a purpose. MKL knew one day there would be freedom everywhere. He also knew it wasn’t going to come easily. He never gave up though and he always believed in
Non-violent direct action and respectful disagreement are a form of civil disobedience. Martin Luther King, Jr. defines “civil disobedience” as a way to show others what to do when a law is unjust and unreasonable. King is most famous for his role in leading the African American Civil Rights Movement and using non-violent civil disobedience to promote his beliefs. King also firmly believed that civil disobedience was the way to defeat racial segregation against African Americans. While leading a protest march on the streets, King was arrested and sent to jail. In response to his imprisonment and an article he read while there, King wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail, explaining that an injustice affects everyone and listed his own criteria for
The Civil Rights Movement changed American Democracy today in its fight against racial segregation and discrimination. We still see racial discrimination today, but we don’t see much racial segregation. People like Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, and A Philip Randolph led the Civil Rights Movement with their abilities to coordinate and connect people. They fought for equality among men and women of all colors and religions.
The assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States marked a tragic historical moment in American history. The president was fatally shot by a sniper while traveling with his wife, Texas Governor John Connally, and Connally’s wife in a presidential motorcade at 12.30 pm on Friday, November 22, 1963. JFK was pronounced dead shortly after rushing to Parkland Hospital, where a tracheostomy and other efforts failed to keep him alive. Although Lee Harvey Oswald, a former United States Marine was convicted of the crime, the purpose behind the assassination remained inclusive as Oswald’s case never came to trial as he got shot to death two days later by Jack Ruby, a local nightclub operator in Texas. The assassination raised many questions and theories concerning the murder. As Oswald’s motives remain unknown, many scholars and investigators yearned to find the key to this mysterious crime, and came up with plausible theories searching for motives behind the assassination. While some straightforwardly blamed Oswald for the murder, claiming Oswald’s personal motives as the cause and supported the theory of the Lone Gunman, many developed more critical theories concerning conspiracies connecting the involvement of Cuba, Russia, the Central Intelligence Agency and the 36th President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson. The Warren Commission was established by President Johnson to exclusively investigate the assassination. The Commission published a detailed report and concluded that Oswald acted alone. The deficiency of the Warren Commission’s evidence to support its theory along with the cordial relationship between JFK and the CIA refute both the Lone Gunman theory and conspiracies involving the CIA in...
The Civil Rights Movement symbolized the challenge and opposition to the racial injustices and segregation that had been engrained in American society for hundreds of years. Events that took place in the 1950s and 1960s, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, sit-ins, speeches and numerous protests define this momentous time in United States history. Speeches during this period served as a means to inspire and assemble a specific group of people, for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X it was the black community that needed to rise up in hopes of achieving equal rights and voting rights for the blacks.
was was a minister and founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. King led the civil rights movement since the 1950’s, using non-violent actions to fight segregation. King faced much criticism in the later years of his life from younger black activists who favored a more violent, confrontational approach to bringing change. King was standing on a second floor balcony in the spring of 1968 when he was struck in the neck by a sniper’s bullet. About an hour after being rushed to the hospital, King was pronounced dead. News of King’s assassination was reported internationally and covered in newspapers, magazines, and the nightly new in the days that followed. Many of the front page articles covering it were not about his death, but rather various stories surrounding it, including violent acts like burning and looting. The article "Assassination Of King Sparks Negro Violence" appeared on the front page of The Valdosta Daily Times and reported the reaction of the black public to the violent act committed against such a passive and strong non-violent leader. In contrast, “An Hour of Need”, published in TIME shortly after King’s death, said “Even as that hope blossomed, an older blight on the American conscience burst through with the capriciousness of a spring freeze. In Memphis, through the budding branches of trees surrounding a tawdry rooming house, a white sniper’s bullet cut down Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., pre-eminent voice of the just aspirations and long-suffering patience of black America.” President Johnson called for an extraordinary joint session of Congress to hear “The President’s recommendations for action —constructive action instead of destructive action—in this hour of national need.’” He urged Americans to reject the violence and called on congress to pass the civil rights legislation entering the House for debate. On April 11, he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968. In the climate of sorrow and guilt that engulfed
Witnesses on the day claimed to see the shots fired from the sixth story window of the Depository. Oswald was one of the few working in the building on that day, which raises even more suspicion about him. Oswald had access to all the materials needed to kill the President. The fact that Oswald killed the police officer questioning him speaks volumes about his guilt as well.
At 12:30 P.M., JFK's convertible drove past the Texas Bookstore Depository and onto Elm Street, where to the right was the grassy knoll. In that same spot, the grassy knoll, Abraham Zapruder had his 8mm camera, recording an event that would drastically change history (Fertzer 65-72). The first shot missed the convertible completely. The second shot hit the President in the upper right back and exited through his neck, continuing on to Governor Connelly's back, through his chest, and hitting his wrist upon exiting. The third shot struck JFK in the head killing him instantly. At 1:50 P.M. Lee Harvey Oswald was taken into custody after resisting arrest and killing officer J.D. Tippit (North 2...
The Civil Rights Movement is one of the most important events of the history of the United States. Although many people contributed to this movement, Martin Luther King, Jr., is widely regarded as the leader of the movement for racial equality. Growing up in the Deep South, King saw the injustices of segregation first hand. King’s studies of Mahatma Ghandi teachings influenced his views on effective ways of protesting and achieving equality. Martin Luther King’s view on nonviolence and equality and his enormous effect on the citizens of America makes him the most influential person of the twentieth century.
The United States civil rights movement was a constant battle for the rights and freedom of African Americans. Martin Luther king Jr., the leader of the civil right movement, was hosting a non-violent protest in Birmingham city. However, the protest did not go as planned and King was arrested for agitating the public. Many fellow white clergymen were angered and upset over the “Ungodly” act. As a result,the Clergymen wrote a statement that claimed Martin Luther King Jr. to be an extremist. Martin Luther King Jr. responds to the clergymen’s statement while residing in Birmingham jail by writing a letter using the ethical, emotional, and logical appeals to defend his actions.
When MLK was taken in to custody, he was charged with “parading without a permit”(King), which really means he was doing wrong because it was a parade against segregation. He was holding a peaceful protest on behalf of the people who did not have a voice for themselves, and he was going to stop at nothing to be heard. MLK, while in jail, was receiving criticizing letters from all over about his protest, he never responded to them until he came across one. Eight Alabama clergymen entitled, “A Call For Unity”, which explained that he should be fighting in courts only and not on the street, wrote the letter. When King writes back that taking direct action is the only way to achieve the true civil rights even if it goes against what is morally right.
To clarify the fact James Earl Ray is not an assassin one must look toward his reputation. James Earl Ray was born into a poor family and was the first of nine children. Being that some of his childhood was during the depression he probably was the type to fight for his own well being. In January of 1946 Ray joined the army. (Clarke 243) While in the army Ray sold cigarettes, drank, fought, and he was eventually discharged. From 1949-1959 Ray did many robberies and when, in 1959, he was finally caught he was sentenced to 20 years in prison (Clarke 244) Ray Later attempted escape in 1960, in 1966, and was successful on April 23rd, 1967. (Clarke 245) Ray, during this time never showed any serious acts of threatening or hurting anyone. (Clarke 244) So why would Ray suddenly turn into assassin and kill someone who has a slim effect on him?
From the Boston Tea Party of 1773, the Civil Rights Movement and the Pro-Life Movement of the 1960s, to the Tea Party Movement and Occupy Wall Street Movement of current times, “those struggling against unjust laws have engaged in acts of deliberate, open disobedience to government power to uphold higher principles regarding human rights and social justice” (DeForrest, 1998, p. 653) through nonviolent protests. Perhaps the most well-known of the non-violent protests are those associated with the Civil Rights movement. The movement was felt across the south, yet Birmingham, Alabama was known for its unequal treatment of blacks and became the focus of the Civil Rights Movement. Under the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr., president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, African-Americans in Birmingham, began daily demonstrations and sit-ins to protest discrimination at lunch counters and in public facilities. These demonstrations were organized to draw attention to the injustices in the city. The demonstrations resulted in the arrest of protesters, including Martin Luther King. After King was arrested in Birmingham for taking part in a peaceful march to draw attention to the way that African-Americans were being treated there, their lack of voter rights, and the extreme injustice they faced in Alabama he wrote his now famous “Letter from Birmingham.”
The Civil Rights Movement began in order to bring equal rights and equal voting rights to black citizens of the US. This was accomplished through persistent demonstrations, one of these being the Selma-Montgomery March. This march, lead by Martin Luther King Jr., targeted at the disenfranchisement of negroes in Alabama due to the literacy tests. Tension from the governor and state troopers of Alabama led the state, and the whole nation, to be caught in the violent chaos caused by protests and riots by marchers. However, this did not prevent the March from Selma to Montgomery to accomplish its goals abolishing the literacy tests and allowing black citizens the right to vote.