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MLK and RFK Assassinations


The assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were significant events in American history that occurred within a short period of each other. Both men were prominent figures in the civil rights movement and their deaths had a profound impact on the country.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and civil rights leader who is best known for his role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He was a key figure in the fight for racial equality and was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

On April 4, 1968, King was assassinated while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. James Earl Ray was eventually convicted of the crime and sentenced to life in prison, but many believe that King's assassination was the result of a conspiracy involving multiple parties.

Robert F. Kennedy, JFK's younger brother, was also a prominent figure in the civil rights movement. Like his brother, he was a vocal advocate for racial equality and was known for his strong stance on civil rights issues. In 1968, he was campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination when he was assassinated in Los Angeles on June 5. Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of the crime, but there have been questions raised about the true nature of RFK's assassination and whether there was more to the story than the official investigation revealed.

Both King and RFK were taken from the world at a time when they were still in their prime, leaving behind a legacy of unfinished business and a nation mourning their loss. Their assassinations were a tragic reminder of the deep divisions and tensions that still existed in American society, and their deaths marked a turning point in the nation's history.

While the official investigations into their deaths may have concluded, the true nature of their assassinations remains a subject of debate and speculation. Many believe that there was more to the story than was revealed by the official investigations, and that the true perpetrators of these crimes may never be brought to justice.

Regardless of the circumstances surrounding their deaths, both King and RFK will always be remembered as brave and visionary leaders who fought for justice and equality in a time of great turmoil and change. Their legacies continue to inspire and motivate people to this day, and their deaths serve as a reminder of the need for continued progress towards a more just and equal society. These assassinations left us questioning so much as the country was in a state of turmoil especially since these assassinations, and the assassinations of other very influential people including Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and JFK all occurred so closely in time.


Sources:

“Behind the Picture: RFK's Assassination, Los Angeles, 1968.” LIFE, 30 Dec. 2019, https://www.life.com/history/robert-kennedy-assassination-photographs-by-bill-eppridge-june-1968/.

“Robert F. Kennedy Assassinated.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Nov. 2009, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bobby-kennedy-is-assassinated

“Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr..” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/event/assassination-of-Martin-Luther-King-Jr. 

“Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr..” The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute, 4 Aug. 2020, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/assassination-martin-luther-king-jr. 

History.com Editors. “Martin Luther King Jr.. Assassination.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 28 Jan. 2010, https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr-assassination. 



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