Martin Luther King Controverisal Assasination

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The Reverend and Mrs. Martin Luther King gave birth to Michael Luther King Junior at noon on January 15, 1929. Michael who later changed his name to Martin became one of the most known civil rights leaders, advocating nonviolent protest against segregation and racial discrimination. On April 3, King arrived in Memphis, Tennessee where he was to lead a march of sanitation workers protesting against low wages and poor working conditions. That evening, King delivered his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech to a relatively small crowd that had braved the bad weather to hear King speak. King's thoughts were obviously on his mortality, for he discussed the plane threat as well as the time he had been stabbed. Local newspapers mocked King when he announced he was coming back to Memphis for a second round. Among other snipes and barbs, the local press criticized him for staying at a white-owned Holiday Inn, instead of the Motel Lorraine, which was black-owned. (Overbeck pg 2) Hoping to avoid further bad press in wake of the disastrous March 28 demonstration, not wanting to add to all the hatred that filled the air King switched his accommodations to a room at the Motel Lorraine, where this would prove to be a grave mistake on April 4. On the evening of April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King and his friends were getting dressed to have dinner with Memphis minister Billy Kyles. King was in Room 306 on the second floor and hurried to get dressed since they were running a bit late. While putting on his shirt and using Magic Shave Powder to shave, King chatted with Ralph Abernathy about an upcoming event. Around 5:30 p.m. Kyles had knocked on their door to hurry them along. The three men joked about what was to be served for dinner. King and Abernathy wanted to confirm that they were going to be served "soul food" and not something like filet mignon. About half an hour later, Kyles and King stepped out from the motel room onto the balcony (Garrow 36-37). Many cheered on as the civil rights leader graciously out step on the second floor balcony of the Motel Lorraine. Roaring cheers from the crowd rose up as Martin Luther King stood there waving his hand with his heart warming smile and his good friend Reverand Jesse Jackson. Kyles was just a couple steps down the stairs and Abernathy was still inside the motel room when the shot rang out and the crowd’s cheerful spirit died.

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