MLK's Legacy, Contested (Part 2)

·28 min·2 clips

James Earl Ray, a small-time crook radicalized by segregationist politics, stalked Martin Luther King Jr. for weeks before the assassination.

This is part two of a series on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. The episode begins by profiling James Earl Ray, the assassin, describing him as a small-time crook from a chaotic family who was radicalized by segregationist politics and George Wallace's campaign. Ray stalked King in Memphis, purchased a scoped rifle under a fake name, and shot King from a building across the street. The FBI launched a massive manhunt, eventually matching fingerprints to catch Ray, who had fled to London via Atlanta, Detroit, and Canada. Ray initially pleaded guilty but later recanted, fueling conspiracy theories, including from King's family, about possible broader involvement. The hosts note the FBI's contentious history with King and parallels to JFK assassination theories. The reaction to King's death was mixed: Bobby Kennedy gave a grieving speech in Indianapolis, but some white Americans, particularly segregationists, celebrated or blamed King. Polls showed 30% of respondents thought King brought his assassination upon himself. In Black communities, riots erupted nationwide, and figures like Stokely Carmichael warned of radicalization, with Black Power group membership surging. President Johnson declared a national day of mourning and used the momentum to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1968, including the Fair Housing Act. Coretta Scott King led a silent march in Memphis, and King's funeral in Atlanta drew global leaders. The Poor People's Campaign continued that summer, with an encampment on the National Mall that saw Bobby Kennedy's funeral train pass through after his assassination. The episode then shifts to how King's legacy evolved, noting that by the 1990s, conservatives embraced a sanitized, colorblind version of King, focusing on his 'I Have a Dream' speech while ignoring his economic justice and anti-war activism. This deradicalized narrative gained widespread support, contrasting with King's more complex, radical views in his later years. The hosts discuss memorials like the MLK Memorial in DC and a controversial sculpture in Boston, reflecting ongoing debates about his representation. They conclude by recommending a visit to the Lorraine Motel, now the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, and hint at how King's legacy might be framed during America's 250th anniversary.

As heard by us

A sharp look at how King's assassination became a fight over meaning almost immediately.

This Day returns to April 4, 1968, and treats Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination as something larger than a single moment. It moves from James Earl Ray's chaotic life and political drift to the immediate scramble over blame, the poll result showing many white respondents…

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Why you'd press play

If you want the aftermath of King's assassination without the textbook haze, start here.

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