‘My thoughts at the time were that violence was the opposite of what Dr. King stood and died for’

On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn. He was pronounced dead at 8:05 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. I was 25 years old, living at home while I attended school in New York City. We heard about the death of Dr. King by a news alert as our family watched evening TV.

There was shock, disbelief and sorrow, but it was not unbelievable. We and Dr. King knew the risk of speaking out against the establishment — racism, violence, war, inequality. It also took me back to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, which we also found out about through the media.

The feelings I had on both occasions were similar. Evil had taken out good.

My dad, who was active in the Harlem community, was asked to meet Mayor John Lindsay on 125th Street and Eighth Avenue (the historical center of Harlem, New York City’s African-American community) and I went with him. Mayor Lindsay came to Harlem to address the community, express his regrets for Dr. King’s wrongful death and his condolences and plead for calm.

Riots and looting were breaking out throughout the country. Numerous businesses were looted and set on fire in Harlem and Brooklyn, but these events were not widespread and paled in comparison to other communities throughout the country where the National Guard was called out to quell the unrest.

There was an intoxicated man in the crowd who was shouting to burn things down because they are going to kill us all. I said to him no one would care if he were killed. My dad said it was time for me to go home if I could not be quiet. My thoughts at the time were that violence was the opposite of what Dr. King stood and died for, and in my response to that man, I was no better than he. I recognized how violence leads to violence.

It was a time of reflection for many of us. How do we respond? How do we move forward? Things needed to change.

From that night through the funeral on April 19, we were glued to the TV and radio reflecting on Dr. King’s life and death, consoling each other and discussing what would happen next. The composure of the King family and the outpouring of sympathy and regrets gave us hope and strengthened our commitment to carry on Dr. King’s legacy.

It was a time in my life when I was still deciding who I was and who I wanted to be. Dr. King’s life and death and that of President Kennedy significantly impacted my choices.

I recognized risk and consequences are inevitable, but we must live our lives honoring our beliefs. Also, our differences are real, and we must try to learn from each other so we can live together. I needed to do what I can to understand and provide for others for the betterment of my community and world.

I am not Dr. King and will never impact the world as he did, but I can do what I can. Dr. King’s dream has not become reality, but his legacy has resulted in myself and others becoming better people with a commitment to others. Today, we must remember and rededicate ourselves to working for an end to violence, war, racism, poverty, inequality. We are in this together.