Martin Luther King is remembered as the pivotal figure in the fight for civil rights. King was a civil rights activist his entire life. We remember King every year on April 4th, the day of his tragic assassination. April 4th 1968 King was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee.
American culture during the 1960s was undergoing inter-cultural and political change as worldwide events influenced everyday life in America.
The 60's culture was influenced by the sudden and tragic assassinations of the following prominent figures.
1961 - President of Congo
1963 - President of Thailand
1963- John F. Kennedy
1965 - Malcolm X
1968 - Martin Luther King, Jr.
What is remembered most of about King's was his message of non violence and peaceful co-exsitance with all peoples of all skin colors. King's "I Have A Dream" speech is also closely remembered as being a ground breaking moment for the civil rights movement.
The 60's decade was filled with tragic and sudden assassinations. The day after the assassination of King, riots emerged in 60 cities. The day after Kennedy's and Malcolm X were assassinated riots also emerged in many cities across America.
In Washington D.C. the riots after King's assassination were very violent. "In the ensuing three days, there were 12 deaths, 1,097 injuries and more than 6,100 arrests. More than 900 stores lay in ruins." The black district of Washington D.C. lay in shambles and the apparent non violence that King fought so hard to make his core belief was gone.
Protests from the assassination of King lasted as long as 6 months in a Washington D.C. park.
The sense that all order and good that was alive in the 60's could be put to an end by the pull of a trigger was a common and dangerous belief that the culture caught a hold of.
Around the country there was a fear that any small event could trigger a massive riot. Tourism around the country actually decreased as the fear hit all American communities.
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