Tragically, at the young age of thirty-nine years old, a great man was murdered by a known racist who was a career criminal. Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. was a well-known civil rights leader who had come to Memphis, Tennessee to support a sanitation workers’ strike and gave his last speech on the night of April 3, 1968, at Mason Temple Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Unfortunately, the next day at 6:00 p.m. Doctor Martin Luther would be murdered by a single shot on the balcony of his hotel room ("Martin Luther King Jr Assassination - Black History - HISTORY.com", 2010). James Earl Ray was serving time for armed robbery when he escaped from the Missouri State Prison a year before the assassination. On April 3, 1968, James Earl Ray arrived in Memphis, Tennessee. …show more content…
Unfortunately, on April 4, 1968, at 6:00 p.m. Doctor King, exited his second-story hotel room and walked onto the balcony of the hotel. As he turned towards his room, a single shot rang out, striking Doctor King. Sadly, there was nothing anyone could do to revive him, and Doctor King was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. (Saferstein, 2014). This unfortunate event devastated a multitude of people. Tragically, upon hearing of the death of Doctor King riots broke out in over one-hundred cities from Washington DC to Chicago ("The Assassination of Martin Luther King - a summary - History in an Hour", 2011). On April 9, 1968, Doctor Martin Luther King was laid to rest in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, tens of thousands of people lined the streets to pay their respects ("Dr. King is assassinated - Apr 04, 1968 - HISTORY.com",
also exemplifies a compassionate leader, but another leadership quality of King’s was his unmatched trustworthiness amongst the black people of the 1950’s and 60’s. Martin Luther King Jr. lived during a time of severe segregation and hate toward the African-American people of the United States. Many African-American civil rights activists- such as Reverend George Lee, Lamar Smith, and NAACP State Director Medgar Evers- were victims of gruesome murders due to their efforts in the Civil Rights Movement (Austin, 2002). Martin Luther King Jr. too was killed as a result of his efforts as one of the leaders of the movement, and every time that King organized a demonstration, his followers also risked their lives by participating. Their trust in Martin Luther King Jr.’s non-violent demonstrations was eventually rewarded, as now the African-American people comprise an important part of
(A) Make a list of the evidence that suggests that Oswald was preparing to kill President Kennedy.
On April 4, 1968 shortly after 1800 hours, Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot while standing on the hotel balcony of his second story room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee (Saferstein, 2014). King was in Memphis to support a sanitation workers strike and was on his way to dinner when he was shot in the head and neck area. King was rushed to a Memphis hospital and was pronounced dead shortly after 1900 hours. Martin Luther King Jr. was only 39 years old when he was assassinated (History, 2017). Forensic specialists stated that the bullet struck him in the jaw and severed his spinal cord. King was in Memphis the day prior to his assassination giving a speech at the Mason Temple Church in Memphis. In his speech, he seemed to have
In 1976, the US Senate ordered a fresh inquiry into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, who was murdered in 1963 during a motorcade in Dallas, Texas while campaigning for re-election. People who had been involved in the original Warren Commission investigations were asked to make fresh statements. The FBI and the CIA were persuaded to release more of their documents on Oswald. New lines of inquiry were opened and individuals who had not previously given evidence were persuaded to come forward. Most important of all, pieces of evidence such as photos and sound recordings were subjected to scientific analysis using the most up-to-date methods and equipment. The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) completed their investigation in 1979 and they finally came to a discrete verdict that Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots at Kennedy, one of which killed the president. A fourth shot was fired from the grassy knoll, which was contradictory to the statement printed by the Warren Commission 16 years earlier. They concluded that John Kennedy was assassinated as the result of a conspiracy.
Martin Luther King Jr was born on the 15th of January, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, known as Michael Luther King Jr and was than assassinated on the 4th of April 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The world renowned Baptist minister and social activist had a massive impact on the American civil rights movement from the mid 1950’s until his assassination in 1968. Martin Luther King Jr’s up bringing was fairly pleasant and he was brought up with a great education. However, he had his couple of prejudices and traumatic experience through out his life. One of these including one of his friends who was a fair skinned boy who was told to tell King that he was no longer allowed to play with him because the children were now attending
Assassination is a strong word with a powerful meaning. Assassination is defined as to kill suddenly or secretively, especially a politically prominent person; murder premeditatedly and treacherously. Assassinations and attempts have occurred throughout history. The victim is sometimes aware or unaware about their dangerous situation but is either guarded or unguarded. The assassin must have qualities of being determined, courage and intelligence to make the mission successful. Assassination is a long process of planning. It can take even years just to plan an assassination of a victim. Often times, assassination planning cannot be on paper because it can be evidence. The most common ways of assassination are using weapons, drugs, accidents and explosives. Surprisingly, the most common way of assassination is by gun. There can be many motives for assassination such as jealousy, political or religious ideas, revenge and etc. There are many famous assassinations. The assassination of Julius Caesar is very famous. Julius Caesar was Roman political figure, who was later was made the dictator of Rome, that was assassinated by the Senators.
On April 4th, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, an event that would change history forever occurred. That was the day James Earl Ray assassinated the driving force of the Civil Rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. It shook the nation, as the man who was planning on bringing peace and racial harmony in the United States was killed in an instant. He was probably the most influential scapegoat in American history, setting out to create equality for all races in America. There were many extremist white-based groups which detested the idea of equality, believing that whites were superior over all, groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Martin Luther King did not back down when groups like the KKK harassed him; he used their hate against them and allowed it to thrust him forward for the sake of bettering his cause and pushing towards racial equality. In the end, Martin Luther King was assassinated for his passion and beliefs; his hard work paid off because after his death, there was at least legal racial equality in the U.S. His bravery and strength
On April, 14 1865 President Abraham Lincoln was shot while watching a performance of An American
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
On November 22, 1963, at 12:30 in the afternoon, President John F. Kennedy was shot at and killed while participating in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. The most important question that arises from this incident is ‘Who killed President John F. Kennedy?’ This is an issue which has been debated by scholars, The Government, and even common people alike. Many people seem to feel that it was a conspiracy, some large cover-up within a cover-up.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader during the middle part of the twentieth century. He gave many speeches and led peace marches to gain equal rights for African Americans. I chose to research the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. I guess I knew that he was assassinated but I didn’t know the details. I wanted to know who killed him, when, where, and how King died. The Purpose of this paper is not to determine if James Earl Ray did in fact kill Martin Luther King. Rather, it is a dissection of characters and events utilizing the ideas of the illustrious James Baldwin. In the early part of 1968 he was interested in producing another civil rights march for the poor. Before that could happen, the sanitation workers of the city of Memphis, Tennessee, summoned him. He arrived in March in ord...
He was put in jail for a long time along with all his supporters that were there. King was hated from both white and black people for endangering kids that were at the demonstration. When he got out of jail King and all of his supporters were planning an even bigger demonstration. He put on the Historic March in Washington. More than 200,000 showed up to the Lincoln memorial to hear his speech. His speech stated "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." He was hoping that one day all men could be brothers no matter the race. By 1968 King decided to hold final march where the tragedy happened. James Earl Ray assassinated King on April 3rd.
During 1961 and 1962, King was arrested twice during demonstrations, yielding death threats mostly by phone, to newspapers or anonymously. King’s efforts to restore the Civil Rights Movement, was in its first phase when King became involved in the Memphis sanitation workers’ strike in Tennessee. On March 28th, 1968, as King led thousands of sanitation workers on a march through downtown Memphis, this led to an outbreak of violence. King returned to Memphis for the last time on April 3rd, declaring “because I’ve been to the mountaintop and I’ve seen the Promised Land.”
Just what exactly happened on April 4th, 1968 at 6:01PM? Just how many sides does this story have? The events surrounding Martin Luther King's death remain controversial to this day, after more than 30 years after the fact. The accepted story is a man named James Earl Ray was the assassin however, there are many contradictions to that conclusion. One must come to realize the accepted story is wrong, a cover up has deceived the public for over 30 years, James Earl Ray did not kill Martin Luther King; Martin Luther King was assassinated by a government conspiracy.
Convicted for armed robbery in 1960, James Earl Ray escaped from Missouri State Penitentiary on April 22, 1967. Ray’s hatred for the black population and support for Nazism fueled his drive to assassinate pacifistic leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. During the civil rights era, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s strong political and religious presence caused him to be a potential target as many denounced his promotion of equality amongst blacks and whites in America. Moreover, with the use of a Remington rifle, Ray shot King from a bathroom window of a hotel located across the street from the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, where he had a perfect view of King standing on the motel room balcony. On the eve of April 4, 1968, King was pronounced dead.