Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr - Essay Example This threat was echoed in his closing remarks in a speech he delivered at Mason Temple. Martin was booked at Lorraine Motel, room number 306, in Memphis where he stayed most often with his entourage. Just before his assassination, King had last words with Ben Branch, a musician who was supposed to perform that night in the Motel; Luther King was expected to attend that performance. In his words, King requested Ben Branch to play a song ‘Take My Hand, Precious Lord’ pretty well. The following day, April 4, King was assassinated at 6.01 pm. He was standing on the second floor of the Motel’s balcony when a bullet entered his right cheek, smashed his jaw and moved down his spinal cord. King was rushed to St. Joseph Hospital and after an emergency surgery in the chest, he was pronounced dead at 7.05 pm. He died at 39 years old. This assassination resulted in a race riot nationwide. The cities such as Washington DC, Kansas, Baltimore and Louisville among other cities reported greater numbers of rioters. A number of famous and influential individual in the nation such as Robert F. Kennedy, James Farmer, and other leaders addressed gatherings and called for non-violent actions across the nation. Memphis city quickly ended the strike and settled on terms which were favorable for the sanitation employees. April 7 was declared a national mourning day for Luther King. United States president did not attend King’s funeral for fear of more riots and protest from the mourners, instead, the vice President Humphrey Hubert attended. The articles that describe this event are found in New York Times and BBC News. In New York Times, the article describes this event as a loss to many Negroes across the nation. In addition, it talks about Martin Luther Kings as a nonviolent leader to millions of Americans; his fight was against racial injustice in the nation.