Today, we remember one of the darkest days in American History.
April 4, 1968
Outside Room 306, where Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
Martin Luther King, Jr. King had traveled to Memphis in support of the striking black sanitation workers who were protesting low wages and poor working conditions. King, staying at the Lorraine Motel, was planning a peaceful protest march with the workers. Tragically, an assassin’s bullet struck down King while he was standing on the balcony of the Motel on the evening of April 4th. At 6:01pm, a single bullet was fired from a rooming house across the street, killing the most influential civil rights leader of the 20th century.
The viewpoint of the Lorraine Motel from the rooming house, from where King’s assassin was positioned.
The Lorraine Motel became synonymous with the civil rights movement. The National Civil Rights Museum opened in 1991 on the site, incorporating King’s room and the rest of the Motel into the design of the Museum. My wife and I visited the Museum in 2012 to learn more about King and the civil rights movement. Read more about our visit to the museum, by clicking here!
Fifty years later, we remember King and his work to end racial discrimination and to bring equality to people of this country and around the world. I often think about how the nation would have been different had King been able to continue his work.
Has King’s dream of racial equality been achieved? What are we doing to ensure that the dream is kept alive? These are very relevant questions today because I often hear the same sun that is shining today was shining then. Well, that may be; but there’s still so much work to be done. King spoke of love and peace to make this a better world. In the news, we see more hate than we do peace.
What can we do?
It starts with love. We have to love ourselves and then love one another. It may sound cliche; but love is what makes the world go round. We have to be involved in our community and be involved in our schools and churches. I often hear people saying, “Is this 2018 or 1960?” Diversity is wonderful and describes what King believed and said in his speeches.
We read about the I Have A Dream speech, but I wanted to include the Jail No Bail Movement Instagram Post from the National Civil Rights Museum. He stood up for what’s right and this such a strong message.
The National Civil Rights Museum will be honoring King’s legacy on Wednesday, April 4th. Whether you are in Memphis or not you can participate in the #MLK50BellToll. “Places of worship, colleges, and institutions world wide will ring bells 39 times for each year King lived at 6:01pm, the time he expired.”
What is on your mind as we remember King’s legacy? What more needs to be done to make his dream is a reality? How far have we come? How far do we have to go? Leave a comment and let us have a conversation that can used to bring everyone together.
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