Art of Anarchy

Martin Luther King Jr.

On March 29, 1968, Martin travelled to Memphis, Tennessee, in support of the black sanitary public works employees, who were represented by AFSCME Local 1733. The workers had been on strike since March 12 for higher wages and better treatment.

On April 3, King addressed a rally and delivered his famous "I've Been to the Mountaintop," speech at Mason Temple, the world headquarters of the Church of God in Christ. His flight to Memphis had been delayed by a bomb threat against his plane.

In the prophetic peroration of his final speech, in reference to the bomb threat, he spoke. "We have got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end. Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this point, in Memphis. I want to thank all once more for allowing me to be here with you. I left Atlanta this morning, and then I got to Memphis. Some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me, from some of our sick white brothers. Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop and I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place, but I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. He has allowed me to go up to the mountain, and I've looked over. I've seen that promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised lands. And I'm happy tonight, I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

On April 4, King was shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was immediately rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:05 P.M.

James Earl Ray was arrested on June 8, 1968, in London at Heathrow Airport, extradited to the United States, and charged with the crime. In 1969, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 99 years in confinement.

Ray later attempted to retract his confession, requesting a new trial, which proved unsuccessful. He claims that, "he was changing a tire when the shooting occurred in Memphis," while casting the blame on a man named, "Raul," for setting him up to assassinate Martin.

In a 1977 interview, Ray contended that King was the victim of a conspiracy and James Earl Ray had been framed, fuelling the various claims that have surfaced. King's family and civil rights leaders have publicly stated that, "they believe Ray did not act alone."

Ray continues to say that, "Raul was a gun dealer who enlisted me in several small gun running schemes." He claims that, "I went to Memphis to meet with Raul, who told me to rent a room near where Martin was staying. Raul asked me to purchase a rifle in Birmingham. This is the rifle that prosecutors claim was used to murder Martin Luther King Jr."

James Earl Ray died in prison in 1998, at the age of 70.