wokeculture:48 Years Ago Today, Martin Luther King Jr. Was Assassinated by Katherine Na. 48 years
wokeculture: 48 Years Ago Today, Martin Luther King Jr. Was Assassinated by Katherine Na. 48 years ago today, on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The general facts of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination are ones that most everyone knows- just after 6 p.m. on April 4, MLK was standing on the second-floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel when he was shot in the neck by a sniper’s bullet. He was immediately rushed to the hospital, and was pronounced dead at age 39 about an hour later. Following this, James Earl Ray was apprehended as the suspect in MLK’s assassination. He pleaded guilty to King’s murder on March 10, 1969, and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Most believe that this is where the investigation of King’s assassination ends, but this is not at all the case. What occurred after Ray’s plea was his recant, or taking back, of his confession, as he claimed that he was the victim of a conspiracy. Ray was actually supported by King’s family in this, and the Kings began actively arguing for a reopening of the case, which never occurred due to his death while in prison. Due to a remarkable lack of coverage in both media and history books, almost certainly the result of systemic racism, the majority of people are unaware of the fact that the King family eventually filed a civil lawsuit against the United States government in 1999 for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. - and won. The United States government and its agencies was found guilty for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., with an unanimous decision from the jury. (x) Martin Luther King Jr. fought all his life against racism and for civil rights. He advocated for nonviolence in his activism, and sought equality for Black Americans, the economically disadvantaged and victims of injustice. From winning a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and bringing about landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (x), he was always full of love for his fellow Black Americans, and full of pride to be Black. “Somebody told a lie one day. They couched it in language. They made everything Black ugly and evil. Look in your dictionaries and see the synonyms of the word Black. It’s always something degrading and low and sinister. Look at the word White, it’s always something pure, high and clean. Well I want to get the language right tonight. I want to get the language so right that everyone here will cry out: ‘Yes, I’m Black, I’m proud of it. I’m Black and I’m beautiful!’” - Martin Luther King Jr. As we mourn Martin Luther King Jr.’s death and continue to keep his legacy alive, it’s important to be aware of the truth surrounding his death. Anything less is an insult to everything that he stood for during his time on this planet, and an insult to the memory of a man who fought so hard against racism and for equal rights in the face of so much hatred. “I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” - Martin Luther King Jr., the night of April 3rd, 1968. -- source link