How Long Were Riots After MLK Assassination (And Why)?

How Long Were Riots After MLK Assassination (And Why)?

Exact Answer: Two To Three Days

MLK is used to refer to Martin Luther King Jr., who was an African American personality. He was a baptist minister and an activist who led the civil rights movement in America from 1955. Unfortunately, he was assassinated thirteen years later, in 1968. He was a great leader and spokesperson and was followed by many.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. He was the second child of the African American couple Alberta King and Michael King. He was born in Atlanta city of Georgia. He had two other siblings that were an older sister and a younger brother. He belonged to a rich family and was well educated from his childhood.

How Long Were Riots After MLK Assassination

How Long Were Riots After MLK Assassination?

Both the parents of Martin Luther King Jr. were also civil rights activists, and they frequently participated in fighting for the rights of the citizens. His parents were respected and were followed by many other activists. He was involved in the civil movements from his childhood and learned many things at a very young age. He was an intelligent person and had an excellent brain for leadership skills, and his personality was also excellent. He graduated from Morehouse College and was very good in his studies as well as extracurriculars.

Martin Luther King Jr. married Coretta Scott, who was an American activist and author. She also participated in the civil rights movement and was a great leader. They both got married in the year 1953. They were married in a small ceremony on the lawn of their parent’s house, and a few close relatives only attended the marriage—Martin Luther King Jr. fathered four children with Coretta Scott. The eldest and the youngest child were girls and the second and third children were boys. Martin Luther King Jr. limited his wife’s role in the civil rights movement because he expected her to be a good mother.

Riots After MLK Assassination
Events After MLK AssassinationDetails Of That Event
No. of riots that broke outMore than 160
Time after MLK assassination for riotsTwo to three days

After Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, there was anger in his followers. More than 160 riots broke out after his assassination in different parts. These riots were started two to three days after his assassination and kept going for a few weeks.

Why Did It Take That Long After MLK’s Assassination For The Riots?

Martin Luther King Jr. was brutally assassinated at Memphis, Tennessee, in the Lorraine motel. A gun on his face shot him, and the bullet entered his cheek and then damaged his jaw and went to hurt the spinal cord as well. Martin Luther King Jr. immediately fell and was unconscious. He dies soon after, and his death was a massive loss for society. He was killed at around 6 PM on April 4, 1968, when he was standing on the motel’s balcony and was talking to someone.

It took that long after MLK’s assassination for the riots to break out because his followers were not sure whether he was killed or not. Many people thought that it was just a rumor to demotivate his supporters and bring a pause to the civil rights movement. But as soon as the news was confirmed, his followers and supporters erupted in anger, and the riots started taking place. Riots spread like wildfire, and soon, the government had to take strict action to prevent damage from happening.

Riots After MLK Assassination

Martin Luther King Jr. was a respected man and was loved by all. He was also awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions in working for the activists without any violence. King Jr’s ideology was that if we can protest with non-violence without hurting the sentiments of anyone, then one day, we will be able to achieve what we want.

Conclusion

Finally, it can be concluded that Martin Luther King Jr. was a Nobel peace prize winner and was well known for his movements and protests in civil rights. He was married to Coretta Scott and had four children. King Jr. was born in Georgia, and he had a great brain right from his childhood.

After the assassination of King Jr., riots broke out after two to three days in all the significant parts of the United States. More than 160 riots took place, and many were killed in the riots. However, King Jr’s views never represented violence. He always worked with non-violence and taught the same to his followers.

References

  1. https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/martinkramer/files/words_of_martin_luther_king.pdf
  2. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315731513/martin-luther-king-jr-peter-ling
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