Martin Luther King Jr anniversary: Crowds gather in Memphis for events to honour rights' leader's legacy - as it happened
As the world marks the milestone, attention turns to the ongoing disparity between white and black Americans in modern society
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Your support makes all the difference.Admirers gathered in Memphis to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr‘s final speech in Memphis 50 years ago.
The commemoration mirrored events half a century ago, when an enthusiastic crowd roused Dr King from his bed at the Lorraine Motel for an unplanned appearance, when he delivered his famous “Mountaintop” speech without notes.
Bernice King, his daughter, addressed the audience and called on her older brother, Martin Luther King III, to join her at the pulpit.
She discussed the difficulty of publicly mourning their father, a man who was hated during his lifetime but is now celebrated around the world.
“It’s important to see two of the children who lost their daddy 50 years ago to an assassin’s bullet,” said Ms King, now 55.
“But we kept going. Keep all of us in prayer as we continue the grieving process for a parent that we’ve had yet to bury.”
As the world marked the 50th anniversary of Dr King’s murder, the milestone coincided with a resurgence of white supremacy, the continued shootings of unarmed black men, and a parade of discouraging statistics on the lack of progress among black Americans on issues from housing to education to wealth.
But rather than despair, the resounding message was one of resilience, resolve, and a renewed commitment to Dr King’s legacy and unfinished work.
Speaking on Good Morning America, Dr King's eldest son said his father would have been proud of the non-violent movements happening in the US today, from the Me Too and Black Lives Matter movements to the student-led protests for gun control.
On the state of race relations in America, Martin Luther King III said: “We’ve made dramatic progression 50 years, but we’re nowhere near where we need to be."
Mr Trump has tweeted about the anniversary of Mr King's assassination. Earlier today, he tweeted about strengthening US borders against immigrants, and about the country's trade deficit with China.
Congressman John Lewis returned to Martin Luther King Park in Indianapolis on Wednesday – the same place where he heard Senator Robert Kennedy announce Dr King’s death back in 1968. It was the first time he had returned to the park since that night.
“If it hadn’t been for Martin Luther King Jr, I don’t know what would have happened to our nation,” Mr Lewis said. “I don’t know what would have happened to many of us that had been left out and left behind.”
He added: “I thank god that he lived. He taught us how to live. He taught us how to stand up – to be brave, courageous, and bold, and to never give up.”
Yesterday, Dr King's youngest daughter, Bernice King, revealed the title of the next sermon her father had planned to give, had he not been assassinated: “America May Go to Hell".
“If you would permit me, I think as I look at the landscape of our world today, America may still go to hell,” Ms King said in an address at the Mason Temple Church of God in Christ in Memphis.
She added: “So 50 years later, I’m here to declare and decree not only must America be born again but it’s time for America to repent.”
Dr King's daughter, Bernice King, has awarded two lawyers a prize celebrating her father's legacy of nonviolence.
King presented the Martin Luther King Jr Nonviolent Peace Prize to Benjamin Ferencz and Bryan Stevenson at the King Centre in Atlanta. Mr Ferencz previously prosecuted Nazi war crimes. Mr Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama.
The prize is awarded for "the commitment to nonviolence as a way of life through which social justice, human rights, and civil liberties are attained for each individual," according to the King Centre's website.
The rapper Common and pop singer Sheila E have the crowd dancing and bobbing their heads before the start of a march honoring Dr King.
Common performed his poignant song "Glory," which was featured in the film Selma. He finished his performance by raising his fist and bowing his head.
Singer Goapele also performed to the crowd of hundreds.
The performances took place at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee.
Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee took the stage at the National Civil Rights Museum to call for the end of what she called America’s “perpetual war”.
“We must call for an end to the chaos of militarism and war,” the representative said. “The 16-year-plus war in Afghanistan and the 14-year war in Iraq continue today with no end in sight.”
“If we are to truly honour Dr King,” she added, “we must never forget the devastating impact of wars here at home, and let's call for them to end.”
Ms Lee was the only member of Congress to vote against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists in 2001, saying it provided a “blank check to the president to attack anyone involved in the September 11 events”.
The authorization has since been used to permit military action in the Phillipines, Georgia, Yemen, and several other countries.
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