"I may not get there with you": March 2013

Thursday, March 7, 2013

"I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me..." - Works cited

"4/4/1968." CBS News. CBS. WTOP-TV, Washington, D.C.. 4 Apr. 1968. Television.
Caldwell, Earl. "Martin Luther King Is Slain in Memphis; A White Is Suspected; Johnson Urges Calm." New York Times [New York City ] 5 Apr. 1968, Late City Edition ed., sec. A: 1. Print.
Hunt, George. "Editors Note: I Knew I Must Record It For The World." Life 19 Apr. 1968: 3. Google Books. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.
"I've Been To The Mountaintop." Life 12 Apr. 1968: 74. Google Books. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.
"Joseph Louw | Iconic Photos." Iconic Photos | Famous, Infamous and Iconic Photos. N.p., 7 Apr. 2012. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. <http://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/tag/joseph-louw/>.
"The Lorraine Motel, Memphis, April 4, 1968 | The Day MLK Died: Rare Pictures From the Lorraine Motel, Memphis, April 4, 1968 | LIFE.com." LIFE Photos | Classic Pictures From LIFE Magazine's Archives | LIFE.com. Time/LIFE , n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2013. <http://life.time.com/history/life-exclusive-the-day-mlk-died/#1>.

"Dr. Martin Luther King, the apostle of non-violence in the Civil Rights movement, has been shot to death in Memphis, Tennessee..." - Television

As news spread of King's assassination, the CBS Evening News broadcast a special report that first informed viewers of the event. As Walter Cronkite had already boarded the train and had left Washington, D.C. and had to be recalled, Dan Rather filled in. Later on, during the West Coast broadcast, Walter Cronkite gave the news in detail, mentioning that police had found a scoped Browning rifle.

Rather, who had already distinguished himself during coverage of the assassination of President Kennedy as a Dallas correspondent, delivered the special report himself. Cronkite, finding himself in the position of having to report the untimely death of a beloved American leader for the second time in five years, delivered what was known of Dr. King's assassination at the time, as well as a brief obituary.

"4/4/1968." CBS News. CBS. WTOP-TV, Washington, D.C.. 4 Apr. 1968. Television.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

"Play It Real Pretty" - Newspapers and Magazines

The New York Times ran the story of Dr. King's death on the front page of it's Late City Edition. The Times first printed a description of the vehicle used by Dr. King's assassin, James Earl Ray.
It also provided a chilling account of Dr. King's last moments, culminating in his last words, to Ben Branch, a musician who was going to play at a service that Dr. King was to attend: "Ben, make sure you play 'Take My Hand, Precious Lord' in the meeting tonight. Play it real pretty."

"I knew I must record it for the world to see" - Photographs

There were many photographs taken in the immediate aftermath of Dr. King's death. The scene itself was covered by two reporters from Life Magazine, who arrive that evening. Photographer Henry Groskinsky and writer Mike Silva, drove nearly 200 miles to the Lorraine Motel. Many of the shots that Groskinsky took that evening were only published very recently. They can be seen here.

On April 3, 1968...

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was in Memphis, Tennessee, assisting in a labor dispute involving the city's mostly black sanitation public works employees, who were on strike. While there, he went to the Mason Temple and gave his famous "I've Been To The Mountaintop" speech.