Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. Fifty years later, the City of Memphis remembers King by putting together multiple events around the city to commemorate his legacy along with remembering the courage of the sanitation workers who participated in the 1968 Sanitation Strike.
1. MLK50 Brothers on Beale anniversary celebration
This event will take place all day March 29–April 1 at the W.C. Handy Performing Arts Park on Beale Street and will commemorate the loss of King by providing services to the homeless. Brothers on Beale plans to feed, clothe and provide limited healthcare to those in need. They will also host a talent hunt program at the New Daisy Theatre for high school and college students on these days.
2. Plant red flowers for King
Memphis City Beautiful is hosting this event to promote unity, pride and community fellowship. Memphis residents, neighborhoods, churches, businesses and schools are encouraged to plant red flowers on April 1. About 50,000 red flowers will be distributed, and there will be a special recognition from Mayor Jim Strickland and the Memphis City Beautiful Commission to those who demonstrate exceptional and vibrant displays of these flowers.
3. Bus tour
The tour will go from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and will start at 374 Vance Ave. It will stop at historical MLK sites like the Clayborne Temple, Mason Temple, Lorraine Motel and St. Jude and will end at R.S. Lewis Funeral Home. The keynote speaker for the tour will be Eric Williams, curator of Religion at Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
4. 50-Year Retrospective
This event will take place at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church from 5 to 7 p.m. on April 3 and will compare political activism during the 1968 Sanitation Strike with the activism of today’s movements like Black Lives Matter. Featured panelists include David Garrow, Lerone Martin, Kenneth O’Reilly and Marc Perrusquia, all authors of books about King.
5. Gospel Reflections from the Mountaintop
At the Memphis Convention Center at 1 p.m. April 3 and at 9:30 p.m. April 4, visitors will gather to reflect on the state of racial unity in the church and their culture. Key speakers for this event include Matt Chandler, Jackie Hill Perry, Eric Mason, Russell Moore, John Piper and Benjamin Watson.
6. The largest reenactment of the iconic “I AM A MAN” photograph
The reenactment of the 1968 Sanitation Workers Strike will be April 4 from 8 to 10 a.m. The line-up for the photo shoot will start at Fourth Street and Beale Street. The picture will be taken from a helicopter overlooking historic Beale Street by Eboni Bullard, the daughter of Ernest Withers, a photojournalist and friend of King who took the first “I AM A MAN” photograph. It will be displayed at the Withers Collection Museum and Gallery and at the end of “68 I AM A MAN,” a feature film executive produced by Southern Tales Entertainment.
7. 6:01 Commemorative Ceremony from the balcony of the Lorraine Motel
This event is being held on April 4 from 3:30 to 6:15 p.m. at the National Civil Rights Museum. There will be a ceremonial wreath laying, ecumenical presentations (Christian slideshows), international and national dignitaries, tributes and performances, peaking in a moment of silence at 6:01 p.m. — the time King was standing on the balcony of Lorraine Motel when he was shot and killed.
8. Out Hunger: Civil Ride
Civil Ride is a three-day cycling trek from Memphis to Jackson, Mississippi, from April 4 through 6 to raise money and awareness for racial reconciliation and ending hunger. This ride represents the struggle for equality, a way to keep King’s dream alive and the idea that poverty is a modern-day civil rights issue.
9. 5th annual A Taste of Memphis at Tigerlane
Neighborhoods, faith-based organizations, community development corporations and many others will come together to show support for the legacy of King on Tigerlane from 5 to 10 p.m. April 6. There will be live entertainment, food trucks and a kid’s zone. Visitors are encouraged to share their accomplishments and qualities about their neighborhoods and how they are helping Memphis be a better place.
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These events are only a few of the ways the sanitation workers’ sacrifices and King’s legacy will be honored. The city of Memphis is installing the “I AM A MAN” Plaza, which began construction Nov. 1 and will be finished by April 30. The plaza, located at the south side of Clayborne Temple, will be a place to acknowledge the historical significance of the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike and inspire future generations to fight for social justice and change.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Reflection Site will also begin to be installed on April 1 and will be finished by April 30. This site will be at the corner of Martin Luther King Blvd. and Second Street and is the point of reference for those who want to understand the reasons for King being in Memphis and how his presence affected the city. Visitors can come to this space to reflect and meditate on the life of King.
The Civil Rights Museum is preparing for the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. assignation at the Lorraine Motel. On April 4, people will be gathered at the Lorraine Motel to remember the late King.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel while delivering a speech. Now tourist can come visit the National Civil Rights Museum and look at where he stood.
The National Civil Rights Museum doesn't only recognize Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. but as well as other important people for the civil rights movement. The facing history and ourselves mural depicts plenty of impactful people from Memphis, TN who were involved in the civil rights movement.
