Social Media Is Marking Martin Luther King’s Final Hours 54 Years After His Assassination

The night before he was assassinated Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a rousing speech at Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee, where he had gone to advocate for striking sanitation workers. By then, King’s name was synonymous with civil rights and peaceful, nonviolent pursuits of justice and equality. He told the crowd, “I may not get there with you.” Less than 24 hours later, an assassin’s bullet silenced one of the most powerful and beloved voices in global history.

His youngest child Bernice King recalled her father’s words – 54 years later in a poignant tweet.

From family to fans, posts and tweets included the “Mountaintop” speech.

At the King Center in Atlanta, the announcement of a wreath laying in commemoration of the icon were prominently displayed. On its social media platforms, tributes were also posted.

In the city where King was killed, the National Civil Rights Museum – built adjacent to the Lorraine Motel where King was standing on the balcony when he was fatally shot – used its Twitter account to relive the tragic events of April 3, 1968 using a series of tweets.

They began with an explanation for the reason King was in Memphis: the sanitation workers’ march for better wages and working conditions.

They outlined the key moments of that Wednesday.

And finally, King addressed the crowd.

For more information on the National Civil Rights Museum’s ceremony on April 4, please click here.