On March 28, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, to support Black sanitation workers striking for dignity, fair wages, and better working conditions. The demonstration was meant to be a peaceful show of solidarity, as King led a march of 6,000 people through the streets of Memphis.
As the procession advanced along the iconic Beale Street, tensions rose. Some young demonstrators began breaking storefront windows, prompting police in riot gear to move in. The situation quickly escalated into violence. One person was killed, approximately 50 others were injured, and hundreds were arrested.
Fearing for King’s safety, fellow civil rights leader and freedom rider James Lawson persuaded him to leave the scene. The violence and chaos deeply troubled King, who felt shaken and disheartened by the events.
That march would be his last. Just days later, on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, his life cut short but his legacy enduring. His unwavering pursuit of justice, peace, and human dignity left a movement forever changed and a nation called to reflect on the power—and cost—of moral leadership.
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