The Day MLK Died: LIFE's Forgotten Photos at the Lorraine Motel Unearthed

[xchrom]

http://www.slate.com/slideshows/life/the-day-mlk-died-lifes-forgotten-photos-unearthed.html

he Shooting of MLK: A Hidden History

On April 4, 1968, LIFE photographer Henry Groskinsky, on assignment in Alabama, learned that Martin Luther King, Jr. had been shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. He raced to the scene and incredibly obtained unfettered access to the hotel grounds, King's room, and the surrounding area. For reasons that have been lost in the intervening years, the photographs taken that night and the next day were never published. LIFE asked Groskinsky, now 77, to look back on that night 44 years ago and recall what it felt like to chronicle one of the most somber days in American history.

[phasma ex machina]

1. Is that a young Jesse Jackson sitting on the far bed second from the left?

Jesse Jackson's ascendancy roughly coincides with the Civil Rights Movement becoming increasing associated with the Democratic Party. MLK was a nominal Republican. MLK's predecessor Vernon Johns, the father of the Civil Rights movement, was a Radical Republican. Naturally. Republicans fought a Civil War to allegedly "free the slaves."

Zora Neale Hurston (Vernon Johns link contains a great quote near the top) ranks as my favorite Radical Republican.

Paraphrasing WC Fields, "All things considered, I wish Jesse Jackson was still young."

[monmouth]

3. I don't think so, got this from the link..

King's Room

Stunned, silent members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in King's room, including Andrew Young, far left, under a table lamp, and civil rights leader Reverend Ralph Abernathy, seated in the middle on the far bed. "I was very discreet. I shot just enough to document what was going on. I didn't want to make a nuisance of myself. And right there, almost in the center of the picture, in the mirror you can see the reflection of me taking the picture. It's very somber, and there I am with a flash camera. So I took a couple of pictures and just kind of backed off."

[phasma ex machina]

6. This famous picture that shows Abernathy wearing a tie with a tieless Jackson suggests Abernathy as

third from left in the OP's photo. (Thanks for posting the caption because the slide show doesn't work on my PC.)

[ProdigalJunkMail]

12. pretty sure that's right...looks like him and is dressed appropriately

according to other pics of the day...

sP

[Starry Messenger]

2. k&r

[WillyT]

4. K & R !!!

[Spazito]

5. Haunting photographs...

I am glad they have been re-discovered and made public, looking at them brings back the overwhelming horror and sorrow I felt at the time.

[jwirr]

7. Very painful. We need to remember.

[onethatcares]

8. we need to remember

that the civil rights struggle was moving along at that time and with the VietNam war and the economy being the things Dr. King had then focused on made him a larger target.

The Poor Peoples march and occupation of Washington D.C. was coming up and the ptb could not and would not allow that under any terms.

And here we are now, progress on all fronts halted or creeping along.

[senseandsensibility]

9. kick and rec

We should keep this kicked.

[coffeenap]

10. Kick. If you can, please visit the Natl Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.

It IS the Lorraine Motel and the building from where the horrific shot was fired. It is the only civil rights museum in the US and one of the most moving and interesting places I have ever visited.

http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/

[Gormy Cuss]

15. Seconded.

In addition to the MLK area around room 306 I remember the Rosa Parks bus exhibit. It should be on the short list of places to see in Memphis.

[riderinthestorm]

16. Another second! (or is that third?) heh! The Museum is incredible

K and R for the OP.

[senseandsensibility]

11. kick again

Great photos!

[one_voice]

13. K&R

[Doremus]

14. K&R

[one_voice]

17. Kick n/t

[Solly Mack]

18. Thank you

[senseandsensibility]

19. kick for those that haven't seen it

eom

[Scurrilous]

20. Thanks.