The Day That Changed Black America

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Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on a motel balcony

This date marks the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.

He was shot to death at the Loraine motel in Memphis, TN. He was there to support striking Black garbage workers. News of the assassination resulted in an outpouring of sorrow and anger all over the world and riots broke out in more than 100 American cities.

Read more about Dr. King here.

Learn about other civil rights leaders in our online exhibits.

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