Los Angeles Remembers MLK

Martin Luther King and Governor Edmund G. Brown during a Freedom Rally at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Governor Edmund G. Brown during a Freedom Rally at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. June 18, 1961. Herald Examiner Collection

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. He was 39 years old when he was shot to death at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.

King was a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was known for his use of nonviolence and civil disobedience to fight segregation and achieve significant civil-rights advances for African Americans.

Shock and outrage over the news of King’s death sparked rioting in many cities around the country, followed by a wave of national mourning for King that lead to the passing of his Fair Housing Act which was a major piece of civil rights legislation.

King has remained the most widely known African-American leader of his era, and the most public face of the Civil Rights Movement.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” —Martin Luther King Jr.

Photos From Our Herald Examiner Collection Showing the Reaction in Los Angeles to MLK's Death

A Los Angeles resident collapses in grief while reading the details of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.

A Los Angeles resident collapses in grief while reading of Martin Luther King Jr.’s death.

Marchers with signs gather to mourn Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

People lined up in front of a sign honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

Clergy and mourners march to First Methodist Church, 8th and Hill Streets, on April 8, 1968.

Behind two men, the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are flashed on the Coliseum electric board at a memorial service for him on April 7, 1968.

Cesar Chavez, standing next to a large wreath, pays tribute to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Los Angeles Public Library

Los Angeles Remembers MLK

Photos From Our Herald Examiner Collection Showing the Reaction in Los Angeles to MLK's Death

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