PHOTO GALLERY: Martin Luther King Jr. in Chicago

Apr 3

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On the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in Memphis, Chicago remembers his time spent in our city, expanding his civil rights movement from the South.

King brought his movement for equal rights north to Chicago in 1966, targeting the city’s stark segregation. Here, hundreds marched with him to challenge the policies that maintained the rigidly white ethnic enclave, Marquette Park.

“I have never seen, even in Mississippi and Alabama, mobs as hateful as I’ve seen here,” King said of Chicago.

In this gallery of Chicago Sun-Times and AP archival photos, King is seen energizing crowds and facing violent attacks as he led the march in Marquette Park. The photos, from 1966, show him renovating deteriorating buildings and confronting Mayor Richard J. Daley.

via PHOTO GALLERY: Martin Luther King Jr. in Chicago — Chicago Sun-Times

Posted on 04/03/2018, in Black History Month, civil rights, Uncategorized and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 16 Comments.

  1. Xena | 04/03/2018 at 5:43 pm

    If anyone wants to read a part of the history of Marquette Park, here is a link to a good article. The issue of segregation in that area arose because of jobs. The world’s largest bakery was located in the Marquette Park area. They hired Blacks and Latinos of Mexican descent. Commuting to the area to work on public transportation was not only long, but dangerous. There were White gangs that attacked and beat Blacks and Latinos. The most likely solution was to move closer to jobs.

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  2. yahtzeebutterfly | 04/03/2018 at 6:56 pm

    There is a moral revival of The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign taking place across the country under the leadership of Rev. William Barber and Rev. Liz Theoharris during this 50th anniversary year.

    The principles’ page of the campaign can be found at this link:

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    • yahtzeebutterfly | 04/03/2018 at 7:10 pm

      “The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty.”
      ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

      “Many white Americans of good will have never connected bigotry with economic exploitation. They have deplored prejudice but tolerated or ignored economic injustice.”
      ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

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  3. yahtzeebutterfly | 04/03/2018 at 8:10 pm

    “John Lewis marks the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr ‘s, assassination”

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    • mindyme62 | 04/10/2018 at 12:04 pm

      takeaways “We have to love everybody, it doesn’t make sense…..the dreamers, that’s not right, that’s not just, that’s not fair’. It doesn’t matter whether we’re black or white, straight or gay, we are all one people, we all live in the same house”

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  4. davidprosser | 04/03/2018 at 8:38 pm

    Cometh the hour,Cometh the man. And he did, and his eloquence helped bring an end to some injustices before his life was taken. Unfortunately it seems the hate was just driven underground and has been welcomed back by some this past 18 months.
    xxx Huge Hugs xxx

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    • Xena | 04/03/2018 at 9:57 pm

      Hi David.
      Hate tends to show its head when it believes that there is no law stopping it. When the president of the United States sets an example, it’s like pouring fertilizer on hate.

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  5. Xena | 04/03/2018 at 9:48 pm

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  6. Xena | 04/03/2018 at 10:07 pm

    “The Marquette Park march was one of many staged by King’s movement that summer. The protests were designed to pressure the city’s white leaders into making solid commitments to open housing. But King also faced Mayor Richard J. Daley who disdained outsiders pointing out Chicago’s faults. “Maybe he doesn’t have all the facts on the local situation,” the mayor said. “After all, he is a resident of another city.”

    The marches led to an accord that year between the protesters and the Chicago Real Estate Board. The board agreed to end its opposition to open-housing laws in exchange for an end to the demonstrations. Before he left town, King said it was “a first step in a 1,000-mile journey.”

    Source: The Chicago Tribune

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  7. Xena | 04/03/2018 at 10:20 pm

    I did not know that James Earl Ray had a history of criminal offenses. Neither did I know that after he was sentenced for murdering Dr. King, that he escaped from prison.

    One thing that the article at this link does not say, is how Ray had the money to travel to the UK and Europe in effort to escape being arrested for murdering Dr. King. He was a five-and-dime thief; not someone who could afford airfare by committing petty theft.

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    • mindyme62 | 04/10/2018 at 4:42 am

      Someone bankrolled that trip for sure. I never knew this either Xena, about Ray’s criminal past. So much information. Thank you!

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      • Xena | 04/10/2018 at 4:06 pm

        Mindyme,
        ABSOLUTELY. Ray was a petty thief. Through the years, not once have I found anything addressing how he paid for his European trips after Dr.King’s assassination. I think you hit the proverbial nail on the head.

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  9. yahtzeebutterfly | 04/04/2018 at 4:34 pm

    Live streaming:
    “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Remembrance and Commemoration Ceremony
    Where: National Civil Rights Museum”
    https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/king-assassination-memphis-civil-rights-museum-mlk-50-remembrance-events-today-live-stream/

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  10. yahtzeebutterfly | 04/04/2018 at 4:57 pm

    Video:“Rep. John Lewis honors Martin Luther King Jr.”

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  11. Xena | 04/05/2018 at 7:12 pm

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