MLK 50th Anniversary Commemoration
Civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated on April 4, 1968, making this year the 50th anniversary of his death. Dr. King was fatally shot on that day as he stood on the second-floor balcony of Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, where he often stayed when in town. Dr. King later died at St. Joseph’s Hospital; he was just 39 years old.
On a recent visit to the Lorraine Motel in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination, Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia) said,
“When he died, I think something died in all of us. Something died in America. Each day, I think we must find a way to dream the dream that he dreamed. And build on what he left all of us.”
King’s visit to Memphis had been delayed due to bomb threats against his plane. He traveled to the city in support of black sanitation workers, who had been on strike demanding higher wages and better treatment. After arriving in Memphis, King participated in a civil rights rally on April 3, where he delivered his famous, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” address.
The Lorraine Motel has since become part of the National Civil Rights Museum, which was established in 1991 to honor Dr. King and “share the culture and lessons from the American Civil Rights Movement.” The museum marked the 50th anniversary of King’s assassination with a year-long campaign (April 4, 2017 to April 4, 2018), #MLK50, that included events, exhibits, and activities designed to remember Dr. King and push his legacy forward.
The National Civil Rights Museum and The King Center, established in 1968 by Coretta Scott King in honor of her late husband, offer great resources for online or in-person research on Dr. King and civil rights. Specifically, the National Civil Rights Museum has a number of educational resources related to #MLK50. The King Center has excellent online and in-person resources including photos, quotes, and sermons for researchers available through its digital archive and the King Library in Atlanta.* The King Library has also published a selected bibliography on Dr. King, civil rights, and nonviolence. (EK)
*Since this was originally published The King Center digital archive has been taken down. Some documents can be accessed at Stanford’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute.
