Martin luther king jr assassination
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Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
1968 murder in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Martin Luther King Jr., an American civil rights activist, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m at age 39. He was a prominent leader of the civil rights movement and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was known for his use of nonviolence and civil disobedience. The assassin, James Earl Ray, a fugitive from the Missouri State Penitentiary, was arrested on June 8, 1968, at London's Heathrow Airport, extradited to the United States and charged with the crime. On March 10, 1969, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 99 years in the Tennessee State Penitentiary. He later made many attempts to withdraw his guilty plea and to be tried by a jury, but was unsuccessful. Ray died in prison in 1998.
The King family and others believe that the assassination was the result of a conspiracy involving the U.S. government, the mafia, and Memphis police, as alleged by Loyd Jowers in 1993. They believe that Ray was a scapegoat. In 1999, the family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jowers for the sum of $10 million. During closing arguments, their attorney aske
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King assassination riots
Riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
The King assassination riots, also known as the Holy Week Uprising,[2] were a wave of civil disturbance which swept across the United States following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. Some of the biggest riots took place in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Chicago, and Kansas City.
Overview
[edit]Causes
[edit]Main article: Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
The immediate cause of the rioting was the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. King was not only a leader in the civil rights movement, but also an advocate for nonviolence. He pursued direct engagement with the political system (as opposed to the separatist ideas of black nationalism). His death led to anger and disillusionment, and feelings that, thereafter, only violent resistance to white supremacy could be effective.[3][4]
Riots
[edit]The protesters were mostly black; not all were poor. Middle-class black people also demonstrated against systemic inequality.[5] At the time, the media described these events as “race riots” and White businesses tended to be targeted. However, White public and community buildings such as schools and churches w
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Assassination of Comedian Luther Disorderly, Jr.
April 4, 1968
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