MLK Is Assassinated (Part 1)

About this episode

The episode discusses the events leading up to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968 and the societal reactions to his evolving political stance.

For the fourteenth episode of “50 Weeks That Shaped America” we go (for the first time) to 1968 and the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. In the months leading up to his killing, King had become much more class-conscious, and spoken out against the Vietnam War. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how his politics and activism evolved over the late 60s, how Americans responded — and how many cheered his death. Join our America250 newsletter community ! Subscribe for free to get the latest news and analysis of how America250 is playing out. Paying subscribers get access to early, ad-free versions of the show. Plus bonus features throughout the year. To support our work and get access to everything, subscribe now . This Day is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Follow us on social @thisdaypod Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Audrey Mardavich is…

People in this episode

Host: Jody Avirgan

Guests: Niki, Kellie

Topics covered

• assassination
• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Vietnam War
• civil rights
• political activism
• 1960s America

Keywords

• MLK
• assassination
• 1968
• civil rights
• Vietnam War
• activism
• America250

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Radiotopia, This Day, America250

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