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Where Were You When King Was Killed?
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Published: March 21, 2008
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Almost 40 years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, Tenn. It was a moment that shocked the nation and rocked the civil rights movement. The beloved preacher of civil disobedience had done so much for so many, and he left a changed nation in his wake.
We'd like to hear what you remember about that fateful day. Where were you when you heard the news? How did you react? What was the mood of those around you?
The following account is from Tribune senior editor Pat Mitchell, who was in Daytona that day. Please feel free to post your own stories in the comment space below his.
Certain events in your life you remember vividly, events that have such an impact on you it's as if the moment just happened. The night Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated was such an event for me.
April 4, 1968. I was a freshman at Bethune-Cookman College (now a university) in Daytona Beach. This was supposed to be a special night for me.
The student government was sponsoring a free concert by Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions, a popular R&B group at the time. I got all dressed up in my one good suit and shined shoes (common attire during that era when one "goes out on the town"). The concert was held at an auditorium located on the beach. Transportation was provided for the students. This was indeed a special night.
It was still daylight when we made our trek across the city bridge to get to the auditorium. Everyone was in a jovial mood. The Impressions were sharp, and the lead singer, Mayfield, was at his cool best, singing all of their hits. The atmosphere was electric. The crowd, encouraged by the singers, was in full swing with a rhythmic, church-like call-and-response participation as the music got more upbeat.
And then something happened.
A non-band member came on stage and whispered in Mayfield's ear as he played his guitar. He slowly motioned to his group, quietly communicated with them and stepped forward to the microphone. Immediately, the tempo changed – the band's facial expressions, the songs, the crowd – everything changed in that instant. A somber Curtis Mayfield stopped playing and made what I thought was an oddly placed but heart-felt request to the crowd, to be proud and keep our heads up in the midst of adversity. "People Get Ready (There's a Train Acoming)" and "Moving On Up" was the medley that followed.
And then the whispers started in the crowd, from one person to the other … "King was shot." There was an uncomfortable disbelief. Soon the concert ended. It seemed abrupt at the time.
Back on campus, the students started milling around. The news was confirmed – "King was shot. … He's dead." That's all you could hear, like an audible wave. Then there was sadness, then anger. A profound anger, pent-up anger. Anger at the whole system.
That night the city exploded, just like so many cities around the country. At the time, it was probably the largest riot and civil unrest that Daytona had ever experienced. The campus was on lock-down for the night. The next day, students were sent home on an extended spring break.
Yes, I guess it was a special night, a special night indeed.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( tlr ) on March 25, 2008 at 1:01 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
April 4, 1968, found us living in Alexandria, Virginia, while my then-husband was stationed at Quantico Marine Base and I worked for the FDA on “C” Street, SW, in Washington, D.C. The news was shocking that Martin Luther King, Jr., was dead – and, though we lived in the suburbs in a large apartment complex, there was an eerie silence all around us. What I remember the most, though, was being at work the following day and seeing clouds of black smoke as the area around 14th Street burned; geographically the FDA was removed from the burning and looting but we were emotionally tied to the site – this was the Nation’s capital and home to many who worked at the FDA in the labs and offices there. My husband called my office from Quantico concerned about the reports of what was happening and about my safety. I was pregnant with our son and wanted to be anywhere but where I was. Because of the uneasiness that prevailed, we were sent home early on April 5; the city emptied by districts – southwest first, then southeast, and so on until government employees were out of the city. Everyone’s concentration was not so much on traffic, but on Washington’s burning. How could the burning of the very businesses that supported so many involved in the Civil Rights Movement be a tribute to Dr. King? In hindsight, the burning was a demonstration of frustration so many felt; but the scars left behind haunted many of my co-workers. As we went to bed that night, we all wondered if Washington, D.C., would be standing in the morning and how we would feel once allowed back into work. The events of that week in April were just a precursor of things to come.
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Posted by ( rivett ) on March 26, 2008 at 7:18 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
on apr 4th 68, i was a 3 yrs tampa police officer, i was working that nite, and our sgt, called for a few of us to meet at hillsborough river and sligh ave, when we got there the sgt told us that martin luther king had just been assassinated and to be ready for rioting, funny but i dont recall any trouble that nite while working as a patrolman, but do recall the city seemed in shock .
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Posted by ( greenranger40 ) on March 26, 2008 at 10:23 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I first heard about the assassination of Dr. King on April 10, 1968 while serving in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division. We received a copy of Stars & Stripes during a resupply while we were on patrol near the city of Hue. I was a 1st Lieutenant and a platoon leader and I remember discussing the issue with one of my squad leaders (who was black). We were both from Chicago and he believed that the black people there and everywhere would be rioting in the streets. Obviously we were all concerned about what was happening back in "The World" but we had our own problems at the moment too. Later that day I was shot during an engagement with the North Vietnamese Army and evacuated to the rear for a time. That squad leader was shot after I was and I carried him out of the battle. We both ended up in the same Surgical Hospital in Phu Bai and underwent surgery for our wounds. The next day I was attempting to stand up from my bed and started to pass out. The squad leader dashed to my side and prevented me from hitting the floor. There was very little racism between combat soldiers from my experience.
Rick Lencioni - Lutz
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Posted by ( caphwk ) on March 26, 2008 at 4:45 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
On Monday April 8, I was in Atlanta interviewing for my first job after college. A fellow student & I took the opportunity to pay our respects at the viewing of Dr. King's body at Ebenezer Baptist Church. We entered the viewing line at about 11:30 p.m. and talked with three clergymen, black ministers from Oakland & Chicago and a white priest from Mississippi, for the roughly two hours it took to pass through the tiny church. I remember the atmosphere being calm and somber. When I later read about the riots all over the country, I felt fortunate that, as a white man, I had mingled with a large group of predominately black citizens whose sole purpose that night was to pay their respects to perhaps the greatest american of the 20th century.
Richard Warrener - Land O Lakes
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Posted by ( acjc ) on March 26, 2008 at 5:41 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I know exactly where I was on April 4, 1968. I was delivering my first baby in Huntsville, Alabama. Being in the Deep South, the TV was filled with Martin Luther King's asassination and commentary about him and his deeds. I remember well that Ralph David Abernathy (no relation) was his replacement. I watched all the coverage for the next five days while I was hospitalized.
Loretta Abernathy
Tampa
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Posted by ( sherrodw ) on March 26, 2008 at 8:16 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I was a junior nursing student at University of Tennessee College of Nursing in Memphis. For the whole school year, Memphis had been on edge due to a strike by city workers. This included some personnel at the City of Memphis hospitals. In order to go to class, nursing students had to cross picket lines which was could have been a problem. Dr. King visited Memphis in response to this strike. On the fateful day on which he was killed, I was working my student rotation in John Gaston Hospital (one of the main hospitals in the City of Memphis Hospital complex). We usually worked in the morning, but that day we were scheduled for the afternoon/early evening. Our instructor called us together to tell us the news and sent us home early. Our dormitory was within the City of Memphis Hospital complex. Almost immediately, a curfew was imposed for Memphis and National Guard personnel were posted around the Medical Center. It was a turbulent time in Memphis.
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Posted by ( dennisjb ) on March 27, 2008 at 2:36 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Wow! More stories please!I was 9 yrs.old at the time.I remember the news reports and the rioting that followed again by news reports...I began to understand a little what was going on...sure was a scary time ...a sad time ...
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Posted by ( tbleu ) on March 27, 2008 at 9:55 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
US Army FT. Wainwright,Alaska April 8th,1968. I was on guard duty near a hill called "Old Baldy". I don't remember the exact time, but on the date of April 8th, myself and another black soldier
that was on guard duty, was told to report to the sargeant of the guard. We were not told what it was for because our time on guard duty was not up yet. When we did report to the sergeant of the
guard, we were told that Martin Luther King was killed that day in Memphis,Tenn. All of the black
soldiers were told that they did not have to go back on duty that day. The army then did not want
us to have access to our weapons or ammo for fear that we would hurt someone. After he was assassinated, I was very angry and had a host of bitterness within in me aimed at white people.
But I knew that Dr. King stood for equality and acceptance for everyone and holding this anger
would have went completely against what he stood for, so in time I let that go. I now
see no color, but my fellow man. I hold no animosity toward him because we are all equal.
Thaddeus Blue
Plant City
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Posted by ( dnew ) on March 27, 2008 at 11:26 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I was a Junior and our high school band had traveled from a small country town in East Tennessee, sponsored by local fund raisers, to march in the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in Washington DC. We had lunch in a cafeteria in down town DC. We were on our way to tour Arlington Cemetary when we received the news. We saw the black smoke over the city as we received word of looters and riots. Chaperones were uncomfortable but did not want to alarm the kids. They decided to load the buses and return to the motel in Alexandria, VA. I can remember the fear as we passed the cafeteria where we had just had lunch looted and burned. In the motel we stayed and watched the news of riots across the country and in DC. Chaperones left to bring back burgers (Krystals) for dinner for the entire band, family members, and chaperones as they were too afraid for us to leave the motel. Later I guess we got official word, even if the parade was not canceled, we would not be allowed to march. The officials could not guarantee our safety since we might be associated with where King was shot. Since our buses were Tennessee Trailways, it was decided we would return to Tennessee that night. We left about midnight and arrived home safe early morning to Blountville, TN to waiting frantic, but relieved parents. In the days following, we saw news reports and remembered the nightmare and the mix of emotions. I remember people talking and wondering what was going to happen next. Every time I am reminded of Dr. King and his assassination, I remember that trip to Washington, DC.
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Posted by ( caj38 ) on March 30, 2008 at 9:52 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
April 4, 1968, I was nine years old and living in Chicago, Ill. I was attending a neighborhood black private school, where we walked to and from daily. On this day I remember our white lay teacher looking very sad and somewhat afraid, we were not allowed to leave the school as usual. They didn't announce what occured and I didn't know until my mother arrived to pick me up and both she and my daddy explaining to me later about Dr. Kings' killing. We didn't return to school for a few days and when we did our teacher was not longer there. The nuns did stay and they explain to us what the our world would be like because of Dr Kings' effort.
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Posted by ( rcb31 ) on March 30, 2008 at 3:41 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
April 4, 1968 -- I was living in Memphis as a high school junior. My mother and I were delayed getting home from an errand by a very long delay at a railroad crossing. Later, we would hear reports that most exit routes out of Memphis were blocked by railroad crossing gates that evening. When we finally got home, the 6pm news gave the first reports of Dr. King's assassination. I remember just staring with my mother at the TV in shock. Memphis was already on "high alert" from the garbage workers' strike and demonstrations that brought Dr. King to Memphis. No one ever expected this assassination that took place less than 10 miles from our home. As in other cities, crowds released anger on homes, property and other persons. In Memphis, rioters called for the neighborhood around the Mayor's home to be burned. The Mayor's home was just over a mile away from ours. With my father in Atlanta on business, I felt responsiblity to protect our home and family. National Guard units patrolled our street where I had never seen a police car in our one year of living there. News reports continued through the evening. The next day, my father watched the arrival of Dr. King's body at the Atlanta airport. Two months later, that same shock and horror would come back with the assassination of Robert Kennedy. Many years later, I was able to briefly share my memories of that day with Dr. Andrew Young, one of the men pointing in that iconic photograph. "He freed a lot of people but it seems the good they die young."
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Posted by ( kouya ) on April 4, 2008 at 9:50 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
4-Apr-1968 I was 7 yrs old living in Hartford CT. I remember returning from the zoo with my parents the brothers. When we turned down are street their was police in riot gear all over the place. Later that night we could see the people destroying the white owned businesses around the corner from our apartment. Through the night tear gas was affecting are eyes and we live on the third floor. My mom put wet paper towels over are eyes. I remember the neighbors were cutting through our backyard with the cases of beer and liquor looted from the package store, and hiding it in our garbage house. Looting was going crazy. The next day I was playing with all the spent tear gas canisters that littered the streets on the way to school with friends. We had to turn the canisters in to the teacher in class. It was a very sad ending to a perfect family trip.
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