![]() These were protests about police harassment, housing segregation, inadequate municipal services, failing schools, and nonexistent jobs. They were rebellions against the racially discriminatory status quo, attempts by an especially alienated segment of the black population (impoverished and unemployed young men) to make white America take notice of their plight, of their deep frustration, and of their determination to do something about their situation. King’s death are often dismissed as chaotic outbursts of violence from emotionally distraught black mobs, with more than a few criminal opportunists among them. in April 1968.ĭamage to a store following riots in Washington, D.C. And so it had to be the fire this time.Ī soldier standing guard following riots in Washington, D.C. King had preached peace and had been cut down by violence. So when they heard the news that he had been murdered, they were enraged, furious at white America for silencing a voice of compassion and love. They may have felt that his tactics needlessly put people in danger, but they did not doubt his courage. They may have disagreed with his approach, but they admired his commitment to social change. King had fallen out of favor with many African Americans who felt that nonviolence had run its course both tactically and philosophically, they still respected him. In Washington, D.C., which experienced some of the worst unrest, African Americans torched white owned businesses and clashed with police.Īlthough Dr. In almost every instance, they targeted local symbols of white supremacy. In communities large and small, stretching from the East Coast to the West, African Americans poured into the streets to vent their rage. 172 American cities exploded in the days following Dr. Nonviolence, however, did not win out everywhere. Local civil rights activists, who for the past two months had been leading a full-scale grassroots mobilization to support striking black sanitation workers, channeled raw emotions into peaceful marches and public remembrances. Fearing a riot, the Memphis police went on high alert. ![]() He was 39.Īs word of the tragedy spread throughout Memphis, a pall of shock and sadness blanketed the black community. 30 caliber bullet from his weapon struck the civil rights leader in the head. step onto the balcony of room 306, he pulled the trigger. ![]() On April 4, 1968, at 6:01 pm, James Earl Ray, a white drifter and petty criminal, raised a bathroom window at the rear of Bessie Brewer’s Rooming House on South Main Street in Memphis, TN and aimed a Remington Model 760 rifle across the street at the Lorraine Motel. ![]()
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