Martin Luther King Jr.
A man stands on the balcony of Lorraine Hotel in the approximate place Martin Luther King, Jr., stood when he was killed April 4th. In the background is the rooming house from which the fatal bullet was fired. In the courtyard beneath the balcony are newsmen, police officials, and others.
Few Americans have done as much for the rights of African Americans and other minority groups as Martin Luther King Jr. did in his short lifetime. The larger-than-life figure was known for his nonviolent approach to civil disobedience, and though he was massively popular among progressives, others were not so keen on his platform of progress. On April 4th, 1968, as King was staying at the then-named Lorraine Hotel, he was shot from his balcony by James Earl Ray. The murder was racially-driven, and it was quickly followed by mass protests and even full-on riots in more than 100 American cities.
Despite this, Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy inspired an entirely new generation of civil rights activists, leading to one of the most progressive era’s in modern history.