What was Martin Luther King's main concern?
In the months before his assassination, Martin Luther King became increasingly concerned with the problem of economic inequality in America. He organized a Poor People’s Campaign to focus on the issue, including a march on Washington, and in March 1968 traveled to Memphis in support of poorly treated African-American sanitation workers. ...
What rifle was used in the murder of King?
The evening of King’s murder, a Remington .30-06 hunting rifle was found on the sidewalk beside a rooming house one block from the Lorraine Motel. During the next several weeks, the rifle, eyewitness reports, and fingerprints on the weapon all implicated a single suspect: escaped convict James Earl Ray. A two-bit criminal, Ray escaped a Missouri prison in April 1967 while serving a sentence for a holdup. In May 1968, a massive manhunt for Ray began. The FBI eventually determined that he had obtained a Canadian passport under a false identity, which at the time was relatively easy.
Did Martin Luther King's family believe James Earl Ray was his killer?
READ MORE: Why Martin Luther King’s Family Believes James Earl Ray Was Not His Killer. During the 1990s, the widow and children of Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke publicly in support of Ray and his claims, calling him innocent and speculating about an assassination conspiracy involving the U.S. government and military.
Why did Martin Luther King Jr. work tirelessly?
Civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. worked tirelessly to assure that people could enjoy the freedom of equality. Martin Luther King Jr.'s death is more than just a date on the calendar. It represents a point in American history when millions recognized that things had to change, capping over a decade of work and struggle by King.
Who was the scapegoat for Martin Luther King?
He indicated that James Earl Ray did not actually pull the trigger and was simply used as a scapegoat to orchestrate the whole assassination.
Why did King visit James Earl Ray?
He visited James Earl Ray while he was in prison to support the fact that he didn’t believe that Ray killed his father. Towards the end of Ray's life, members of the King family actually sought to have Ray retried, though that never came to pass. Advertisement.
Was Martin Luther King's life a polarizing figure?
The life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was not without difficulty; he was a unifying figure for some and a polarizing figure for others. Before his untimely death, the prominent civil rights leader was arrested and assaulted many times. His home was even bombed.
Did James Earl Ray stalk?
Those that believe in the conspiracy theory claim that James Earl Ray, an escaped convict, did not have the resources to stalk and kill a very well-protected prominent civil rights leader without assistance from a more established outside source.
Was James Earl Ray a scapegoat?
Not everyone is convince d that Ray was behind the crime or acted alone. Some people believe that the death of Dr. King was a very well conducted government conspiracy, with James Earl Ray being the scapegoat who took the fall. Those that believe in the conspiracy theory claim that James Earl Ray, an escaped convict, ...
How old was Martin Luther King Jr. when he was born?
King's birth certificate was altered to read "Martin Luther King Jr." on July 23, 1957, when he was 28 years old.
Who is MLK?
For other uses, see Martin Luther King (disambiguation) and MLK (disambiguation). Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson ...
How long was King's speech?
King delivered a 17-minute speech, later known as "I Have a Dream". In the speech's most famous passage – in which he departed from his prepared text, possibly at the prompting of Mahalia Jackson, who shouted behind him, "Tell them about the dream!" – King said:
What university did Martin Luther King attend?
In the United Kingdom, The Northumbria and Newcastle Universities Martin Luther King Peace Committee exists to honor King's legacy, as represented by his final visit to the UK to receive an honorary degree from Newcastle University in 1967.
Where was Michael King Jr. born?
King was born Michael King Jr. on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, the second of three children to the Reverend Michael King and Alberta King ( née Williams). King's mother named him Michael, which was entered onto the birth certificate by the attending physician. King's older sister is Christine King Farris and his younger brother was Alfred Daniel "A.D." King. King's maternal grandfather Adam Daniel Williams, who was a minister in rural Georgia, moved to Atlanta in 1893, and became pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in the following year. Williams was of African-Irish descent. Williams married Jennie Celeste Parks, who gave birth to King's mother, Alberta. King's father was born to sharecroppers, James Albert and Delia King of Stockbridge, Georgia. In his adolescent years, King Sr. left his parents' farm and walked to Atlanta where he attained a high school education. King Sr. then enrolled in Morehouse College and studied to enter the ministry. King Sr. and Alberta began dating in 1920, and married on November 25, 1926. Until Jennie's death in 1941, they lived together on the second floor of her parent's two-story Victorian house, where King was born.
Where did King Sr go?
In 1934, the church sent King Sr. on a multinational trip to Rome, Tunisia, Egypt, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, then Berlin for the meeting of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA). The trip ended with visits to sites in Berlin associated with the Reformation leader, Martin Luther.
Where is Martin Luther King Jr.'s memorial?
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was dedicated in 2011.
How many people died in the King's funeral?
As word spread about King’s death, protests started nationwide that included outbreaks of violence, resulting in more than 40 deaths. President Lyndon Johnson ordered a national day of mourning on April 7. Two days later, King’s funeral in Atlanta had more than 100,000 mourners.
Who was the civil rights leader who was shot?
A young colleague, Jesse Jackson, had been below King’s balcony speaking with him when the civil rights leader was shot. Senator Robert Kennedy was at a campaign rally when he learned of King’s death.
The claim: Martin Luther King Jr. was 'killed by his doctor,' not a gunman
More than half a century after his death, conspiracy theories about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination continue to circulate online.
Gunshot wound killed King
In 1979, Congress published the most authoritative report on King's death. It found he died from a gunshot wound.
Our rating: False
Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that King was "killed by his doctor," not a gunman. A 1979 congressional report, based in part on the results of an autopsy, found that King died due to a gunshot wound. Eyewitness accounts from those who were with the civil rights leader when he was shot back that up.
Our fact-check sources
Department of Justice, accessed Jan. 19, VII. KING V. JOWERS CONSPIRACY ALLEGATIONS
How old would MLK be today?
if alive? Martin Luther King Jr .’s exact age would be 92 years 1 month 27 days old if alive.
Who was with MLK when he was shot?
For the first time in 50 years, Andrew Young and Jesse Jackson return together to the spot where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. Memphis, Tennessee (CNN) The agitator and the diplomat grip the railing on the second-floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel, the spot where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Did MLK die during a speech?
Just after 6 p.m. on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. is fatally shot while standing on the balcony outside his second-story room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. On April 3, back in Memphis, King gave his last sermon, saying, “We’ve got some difficult days ahead.
What states do not recognize MLK Day?
Arizona voters, by contrast, refused to approve a ballot proposal for MLK Day until 1992, two years after the NFL boycotted the state. And in 2000, New Hampshire became the last state in the country to recognize Martin Luther King Jr.
Why is MLK Day of the 21st?
The earliest Monday for this holiday is January 15 and the latest is January 21. King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination in federal and state law.
Did Jesse Jackson march with Martin Luther King?
While an undergraduate, Jackson became involved in the civil rights movement. In 1965 he went to Selma, Alabama, to march with Martin Luther King, Jr., and became a worker in King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
Who was on the balcony with King?
In a famous photo taken by Time magazine photographer Joseph Louw, Young is seen standing near Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s body on the balcony with Abernathy, Kyles, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and an 18-year-old Memphis State University student in bobby socks named Mary Louise Hunt.
Overview
Martin Luther King Jr., an African American clergyman and civil rights leader, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died at 7:05 p.m. He was a prominent leader of the civil rights movement and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was known for his use of nonviolence and civil disobedience.
Background
As early as the mid-1950s, King had received death threats because of his prominence in the civil rights movement. He had confronted the risk of death, including a nearly fatal stabbing in 1958, and made its recognition part of his philosophy. He taught that murder could not stop the struggle for equal rights. After the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, King told his wife, Coretta Scott King, "This is what is going to happen to me also. I keep telling you, this is a sick society."
Assassination
On Thursday, April 4, 1968, King was staying in room 306 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. The motel was owned by businessman Walter Bailey and was named after his wife. Reverend Ralph Abernathy, a colleague and friend, later told the House Select Committee on Assassinations that he and King had stayed in Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel so often that it was known as the "King–Abern…
Responses
King's widow Coretta had difficulty informing her children that their father was dead. She received a large number of telegrams, including one from Lee Harvey Oswald's mother that she regarded as the one that had touched her the most.
For some, King's assassination meant the end of the strategy of nonviolence. Others in the movement reaffirmed the need to carry on King's and the movem…
FBI investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was assigned the lead to investigate King's death. J. Edgar Hoover, who had previously made efforts to undermine King's reputation, told President Johnson that his agency would attempt to find the culprit(s). Many documents related to the investigation remain classified and are slated to remain secret until 2027. In 2010, as in earlier years, some argued for passage of a proposed Records Collection Act, similar to a 1992 law concerning the Ke…
Funeral
A crowd of 300,000 attended King's funeral on April 9. Vice President Hubert Humphrey attended on behalf of Johnson, who was at a meeting on the Vietnam War at Camp David; there were fears that Johnson might be hit with protests and abuse over the war if he attended the funeral. At his widow's request, King's last sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church was played at the funeral; it was a recording of his "Drum Major" sermon given on February 4, 1968. In that sermon, he asked that, a…
Perpetrator
The FBI investigation found fingerprints on various objects left in the bathroom from which the gunfire had come. Evidence included a Remington Gamemaster rifle from which at least one shot had been fired. The fingerprints were traced to an escaped convict named James Earl Ray. Two months after assassinating King, Ray was captured at London's Heathrow Airport while he was trying to depart the United Kingdom for Angola, Rhodesia, or apartheid South Africa on a false Cana…
Conspiracy theories
In December 1993, Loyd Jowers, a white man from Memphis with business interests in the vicinity of the assassination site, appeared on ABC's Prime Time Live. He had gained attention by claiming that he had conspired with the mafia and the federal government to kill King. According to Jowers, Ray was a scapegoat and was not directly involved in the shooting. Jowers claimed that h…
Overview
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesman and leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. An African American church leader and the son of early civil rights activist and minister Martin Luther King Sr., King advanced civil rights
Early life and education
King was born Michael King Jr. on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, the second of three children to Michael King and Alberta King (née Williams). King had an older sister, Christine King Farris, and a younger brother, Alfred Daniel "A.D." King. Alberta´s father, Adam Daniel Williams, was a minister in rural Georgia, moved to Atlanta in 1893, and became pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church i…
Religious education, ministry, marriage and family
King enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Upland, Pennsylvania. King's father fully supported his decision to continue his education and made arrangements for King to work with prominent Crozer alum, J. Pius Barbour, a family friend who pastored at Calvary Baptist Church in nearby Chester, Pennsylvania. King became known as one of the "Sons of Calvary", an honor h…
Activism and organizational leadership
The Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, where King was called to be a minister in 1954, was influential in the Montgomery, Alabama, African-American community. As the church's pastor, he became known for his oratorical preaching in Montgomery and the surrounding region.
In March 1955, Claudette Colvin—a fifteen-year-old black schoolgirl in Montgo…
Assassination and aftermath
On March 29, 1968, King went to Memphis, Tennessee, in support of the black sanitary public works employees, who were represented by AFSCME Local 1733. The workers had been on strike since March 12 for higher wages and better treatment. In one incident, black street repairmen received pay for two hours when they were sent home because of bad weather, but white employees wer…
Legacy
King's legacy includes influences on the Black Consciousness Movement and civil rights movement in South Africa. King's work was cited by, and served as, an inspiration for South African leader Albert Lutuli, who fought for racial justice in his country during apartheid and was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
King influenced Irish politician and activist John Hume. Hume, the former lead…
Veneration
Martin Luther King Jr. was canonized by Archbishop Timothy Paul of the Holy Christian Orthodox Church (not in communion with the Eastern Orthodox Church) on September 9, 2016 in the Christian Cathedral in Springfield, Massachusetts, his feast day is April 4, the date of his assassination. King is honored with a Lesser Feast on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America on April 4 or January 15. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ame…
Ideas, influences, and political stances
As a Christian minister, King's main influence was Jesus Christ and the Christian gospels, which he would almost always quote in his religious meetings, speeches at church, and in public discourses. King's faith was strongly based in Jesus' commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself, loving God above all, and loving your enemies, praying for them and blessing them. His nonviolent th…