Democracy Now! Special: Martin Luther King's Life and Legacy 40 Years After His Assassination

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., April 4th is also the anniversary of Dr. King’s major speech against the war in Vietnam. It was April 4th, 1967, a year to the day before King was assassinated. He gave it in Riverside Church in New York.

Dr. Vincent Harding, he wrote Dr. King’s major antiwar speech “Beyond Vietnam.” He is Professor Emeritus of Religion and Social Transformation at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado, and author of many books, including Martin Luther King: The Inconvenient Hero.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. King’s last public words were given on April 3, 1968, the night before his death. It was a stormy night, hundreds of people packed in to the Mason Temple in Memphis. The speech became known as “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.”

Taylor Rogers, former sanitation worker in Memphis. He and 1,300 of his fellow workers went on strike in 1968. He later served as president of the local Memphis branch of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees or AFSCME union for twenty years.

Robert F. Kennedy, breaking the news of King’s death to a group of supporters during a campaign stop in Indianapolis on April 4th, 1968

Rev. Jesse Jackson, he was with King at the Lorraine Motel. At the time, Jackson was a top aide to Dr. King.

Charles Cabbage, longtime activist and community organizer in Memphis. He helped lead the Invaders, a black power group active at the time of Dr. King’s assassination. He met with King hours before he died.

Jerry Williams, retired Memphis police detective. At the time of King’s death Williams was one of the only African American detectives in the Memphis Police Department.

Judge D’Army Bailey, circuit court judge in Memphis and co-founder of the National Civil Rights Museum.