NPR

An 'Exhausted' Martin Luther King Jr.'s Final 31 Hours

A bomb threat, a march turned violent and a militant black power group all weighed heavily on the civil rights leader during his last speech in 1968, says Redemption author David Rosenbloom.

When Martin Luther King, Jr. flew from Atlanta to Memphis on the morning of April 3, 1968, he was not in a particularly good state of mind.

"While the plane was about to take off, there was a bomb threat that was specifically targeted at King and that delayed the departure of the flight," says Joseph Rosenbloom, author of the new book"They brought dogs onto the plane, they evacuated the passengers. And so the plane arrived an hour or so late in Memphis."

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min read
At Least 4 People Are Dead After Tornadoes Slam Oklahoma, Iowa And Nebraska
Multiple tornadoes over several days leveled buildings and left a trail of damage in parts of the South and Midwest.
NPR6 min read
8 Tracks: Beyond The Grave, Johnny Cash Still Shows Us How To Make Music
A new Johnny Cash song got NPR Music producer Lars Gotrich thinking about music released after a beloved artist dies. Check out "Well Alright," plus new music by Arooj Aftab and Tems on 8 Tracks.
NPR5 min read
What Consumers Should Know As Philips Agrees To $1.1 Billion CPAP Settlement
Under a related deal, users who return devices by Aug. 9 can get an extra $100. As part of the recall, the company is offering repairs, replacements or refunds of the machines' cost.

Related Books & Audiobooks