Remembrance

Legacy

Martin Luther King Jr is considered the most formative figure in the modern fight for civil rights. Martin's legacy appears in the work of those who follow him in his cause. He has inspired civil rights activists for the past forty years. There are a lot of organizations, like the NAACP, that have carried on his work on behalf of all people of color. Martin Luther King Jr pushed America to fulfill its promise of equal rights for all. 

"I close by saying there is nothing greater in all the world than freedom. It's worth going to jail for. It's worth losing a job for. It's worth dying for. My friends, go out this evening determined to achieve this Freedom which God wants for all of His children." --MLK

Holiday

It took 15 years to make Martin Luther King Day a federal holiday. Congressman John Conyers first introduced the legislation for a commemorative holiday only four days after King was shot dead. The bill for the holiday became stalled in Congress. In 1973 Illinois was the first state to adopt Martin Luther King Day as a state holiday and some other states would follow suit. There were petitions supporting the holiday and were signed by 6 million people and were submitted to Congress. Public pressure kept mounting in 1982 and 1983. Because of the public pressure Congress passed the legislation in 1983 which was then signed into law by President Ronald Regan. In 1986 federal MLK Day holiday went into effect. Martin Luther King Day is celebrated every third Monday in January. 

Monuments

There are many statues of Martin Luther King Jr throughout the country. The places that have a MLK statue are  Atlanta (2), Chicago, Springfield Illinois, Pueblo Colorado, National Mall Washington D.C., Birmingham, Denver, Allentown Pennsylvania, Florida (2), Toledo, Selma, North Carolina (3), Austin, San Bernardino, Capitol Rotunda Washington D.C., Indianapolis, and White Plains New York.

National Mall, Washington D.C

This MLK statue was unveiled in 2011. The ceremony was scheduled on the 48th anniversary of his "I Have a Dream" speech but the ceremony was cancelled because of hurricane Irene. The ceremony was then held on October 16th. Martin Luther King Jr is the first African American honored with a memorial on or near the National Mall and the fourth non-president. 

Allentown, Pennsylvania

This statue was dedicated in 2011. This is believed to be the only statue of both Martin and his wife Coretta. This statue depicts them marching forward with eyes on the horizon. 

Selma

This statue in Selma is located at the Brown Chapel AME Church. This church was the local SCLC meeting place during the Selma to Montgomery march in 1965. 

Indianapolis

This statue is of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert F Kennedy. This memorial is in the location where RFK delivered his speech announcing that MLK had been killed. It depicts Martin Luther King Jr reaching out to Robert F Kennedy. 

There are over 900 streets named after Martin Luther King Jr in 42 states and in Puerto Rico. There are also numerous schools and institutions named after him as well. 

Citations

"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." NAACP. N.p., 2015. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

Ross, Shmuel, and David Johnson. "The History of Martin Luther King Day." Infoplease. Sandbox Networks, 2015. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

"Martin Luther King Statues around the Country (and Beyond)." MyAJC. Coxmedia Group, 2015. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

"Martin Luther King Jr Memorial." Wikipedia. N.p., 29 Nov. 2015. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

"List of Streets Named after Martin Luther King, Jr." Wikipedia. N.p., 26 Nov. 2015. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

                                                   Photo Credit

http://www.seiu1199nw.org/2013/01/19/honoring-the-legacy-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr/

http://www.mga.edu/news/newspage.aspx?sqid=252

http://tisnm.org/event/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-holiday/

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/27802341/king-center-in-atlanta-plans-events-to-celebrate-mlk-holiday

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr._Memorial

http://comeexplorewithme.com/2011/11/13/allentown-pa-the-only-memorial-with-both-martin-and-coretta-scott-king/

http://www.myajc.com/photo/news/mlk-statues/pCXGqj/

http://leaksource.info/2013/01/22/page/2/

Assassination

Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis Tennessee. Martin and the SCLC were preparing for a planned march to Washington. They were going to lobby Congress on behalf of the poor. Before they could complete the march they were called to Memphis to support a sanitation workers' strike. On April 3, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr gave a speech at the Mason Temple Church. King ended his speech with these now historic words: " 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 and associates we're staying at the Lorraine Motel. Just a little after 6 p.m. on April 4, 1968 Martin was standing on the second floor balcony of the motel when he was struck in the neck by a sniper's bullet. He was rushed to the hospital and just about an hour later Martin Luther King Jr was pronounced dead at the age of 39. 

King's death sparked riots in more than one hundred cities around the country.  These riots included burning and looting.  President Lyndon B Johnson urged Congress to speedily pass the civil rights legislation. He said it would be a fitting legacy of Martin Luther King Jr's life's work. On April 11, 1968 President Lyndon B Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 also known as the Fair Housing Act. 

Several months after King's assassination on June 8, 1968 authorities captured a suspect in his murder. The suspect they captured was a small-time criminal named James Earl Ray. He was captured at London's Heathrow Airport. James Earl Ray had been seen running from a boarding house near the motel where King was killed. Authorities said that the shot that killed King came from the bathroom in that boarding house. His fingerprints were found on the rifle used to kill MLK. They also found his fingerprints on a scope and a pair of binoculars. On March 10, 1969 James Earl Ray pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 99 years in prison for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. There was no testimony heard at his trial. He later recanted his confession and claimed that he was the victim of a conspiracy. Though the US government conducted several investigations into the trial, and each time confirming James Earl

 Ray's, guilt there is still controversy surrounding King's assassination. James Earl Ray died in 1998. 

Both blacks and whites alike mourned the death of Martin Luther King Jr. But in some ways it served to widen the tension between blacks and whites. Many blacks saw King's murder as a rejection of their hard-driving pursuit of equality. His death also radicalized many moderate African American activists.

RFK gave this speech in Indianapolis and after he gave this speech this city was the only city to not see riots. He would be assassinated 63 days later. 

Citation:

"Martin Luther King JR Assassination." History Channel. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 5 Dec. 2015.

Photo Credit:

http://blog.genealogybank.com/46th-anniversary-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-s-assassination.html

http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/March-April-08/On-this-Day--Martin-Luther-King-Jr--Assassinated-in-Memphis.html

http://swampland.time.com/2013/04/04/time-looks-back-martin-luther-kings-assassination/

http://thekingcenter.org/archive/theme/4805

http://englishteacherx.blogspot.com/2015/10/assassination-tourism-part-2-civil.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/04/martin-luther-king-jr-causes_n_5090748.html