Martin Luther King Jr. is known as one of the greatest Civil Rights leaders of all times. Being most famous for his "I Had A Dream" speech. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 after Rosa Parks stood up for herself on one of the busses one evening. The Baptist minister became famous for his leadership and gathered many followers and admirers. Like all great revolutionists, King had his enemies, people who did not like his preachings and beliefs. King was only standing up for what he believed was right and just. The Noble Peace Prize winner of 1964 did not look to make enemies, they choose to not be opened minded.Martin was one of the few black men at the time who went to college, and he recieved his degree in theology. After graduating, King married Coretta Scott in 1955. They had 2 sons and 2 daughters together.One evening, on April 4, 1968, King and his friend Ralph Abernathy were at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN getting ready to go to dinner with Memphis minister Billy Kyles. Kyles came into the hotel room to hurry the men along. Kyles and King stepped out onto the balcony to talk while they waited for Abernathy to put on cologne. There were 6 other men waiting by the car below. One of them remarked that King should get a topcoat. Kyles began to walk down the stairs while he waited for King and Abernathy. He heard shots ringing in the distant, thinking it was a car backfiring, but he soon realized it wa a gunshot. Abernathy rushed to King's side. He saw that King had been shot by his jaw and neck. Kyles dialed 911 when he was aware of the situation. Within 15 minutes of the shooting, King was brought into St. Joseph's Hospital, only barely alive.
The Lorraine MotelIt was later confirmed that King had been hit by a .30-06 caliber rifle bullet that had entered his right jaw, then traveled through his neck, severing his spinal cord, and stopped in his shoulder blade. The wound was to serious for surgery to work. Martin Luther King Jr. was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. that evening, when he was only 39 years old. Robert Kennedy was moments away from presenting a speech on African American rights when he recieved the news. He delivered the news to a stunned audience.A man was arrested for the crime, but everyone, even King's own family, believed that he was innocent. James Earl Ray was later charged for the crime.I personally believe this was a horrible day in history for everyone, especially African Americans. One of their most respected and admired leaders was shot dead by a white man, a kind of person who at the time spat on the ground that blacks walked on. I believe Martin Luther Kind Jr. was one of the greatest men of all time. He stood up for what he believed in, and the for the rights of others. If I was a child growing up back then, I would probably have a different view on it, but since I grew up in this century, I greatly respect this man, and believe it was a terrible shame that he had to be killed so brutally.
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