By GoGoGirl (63.159.80.91) on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 11:55 am:

Morning All,

Hope all is well in your "If this world Were mine."

I remember more events surrounding this event which happened on April 4, 1968 - more than I do about what I was doing when I learned it.

In my neck of the woods - the news was devastating - shocking and scary. A lot was going on, indeed. Riots started in Wash. DC.. Twenty minutes away.

What were you all doing when you heard - and what was the affect in your neighborhood?

RIP - Reverand Martin Luther King Junior.

By fayette (205.188.117.14) on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 12:26 pm:

i remember waiting for my parents to go
to the airport to meet my brother, who was
just getting back from vietnam. it rained
and stormed so hard that day(in atlanta).i
remember there was a numbness i felt when i heard the news.
i was 13 when he died, but i remember seeing
my parents glued to the tv whenever there was
a march.

By GoGoGirl (63.159.80.91) on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 12:36 pm:

Hey All,

fayette - I was 14. Here's hoping God - heals your mother all the way - girlfriend. Praise God.

By ~medusa~ (68.79.92.184) on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 12:39 pm:

I was upstairs in my room, my Brother was in his room doing his homework, my Dad was watching TV. All of a sudden, I heard my Dad stomp and Yell (My Dad had like a James Earl Jones kinda voice).
"Oh No, they killed Martin Luther King, they killed Martin Luther King" I ran downstairs, my Brother came out of his room, and we were all glued to the TV...
Honestly, I thought it was the end of the world that day...

By Soul Sister (65.43.144.46) on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 01:34 pm:

Hi GoGoGirl;
Hope your having a good morning!
I was living on Fulton in Brooklyn when it flashed across the T.V., my friend Jackie, her Mother, & Myself were also all glued to the T.V., we were in total shock. The neighborhood became riotious just down the street toward Nostrand, alot of chaiosness going on, I guess we were all kind of numb. There is just so much I could go into but I'll just say its hard to beleive its 36 years ago today, wow, triggering my memories of that uncertain time is mind-boggling. Maybe I should write that book! Naw.
Have a great day!
Always,
S.S.

By Kev-Lo (4.236.201.170) on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 02:26 pm:

Hi this is Kev-Lo I was 10 years old when he died and I remember my mother coming back from playing Bingo and she told us the mews.It was indeed a sad day for all of us.He was so possitive and he tried so hard to bring us all together.Although It's been 36 years since his death I still miss him,but I know he's in a safe place now and he's not suffering.Maybe one day we will all meet him at the gates of heaven.

By Vonnie (205.188.117.14) on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 02:57 pm:

The signs were all there now that I think back, a few days before the fateful death of Martin, he gave the speech were he spoke of not being afraid of dying, his eyes were flashing and watery, and I believe that in his subconscious he knew the hour was near. Does this scene remind you of another martyr?

The night of his death, I was sitting in my sisters house with my mother and the news flash came on, we broke into tears and it was one of the saddest days of my life. People in the 33rd and Diamond street neighborhood were coming out in the streets and there was much crying and saddness. The words that Nina Simone sang aptly defined that moment in time, "The King of Love Is Dead".

Vonnie

By Ralph (209.240.205.62) on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 03:10 pm:

I can't remember the exact moment, but I do remember Jack Ashford and some of the Funks talking about the great loss while standing in the lobby of Tera Shirma.

By GoGoGirl (63.159.80.91) on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 04:06 pm:

Hey All,

I hear y'all - and am touched as always upon hearing about personal stories.

Hey SS. I'm doing well. I hope you all are doing well also. Take the carest of care.

Vonnie - your last sentence brought tears to my eyes.

Martin Luther King sure did love us. He wasn't perfect all way round - but he had a real purposeful love for the folks that looked like him, and for all people, of all races - creeds and colors, indeed.

By SisDetroit (68.42.211.240) on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 04:17 pm:

Yes, Vonnie. I think of that all the time.

I cried all day that day. It was horrible. I knew there would be no other like him.

Apparently, the system was ready and waiting for this terrible murder, and was prepared for a riot. There was some rioting here in Detroit, but it was stopped quickly. It took no time for the National Guards to enter into Detroit.

By BassLand (64.169.106.149) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 02:28 pm:

I was in the studio engineering an all night session and sometime that morning EST someone cam into the studio and informed me...

By Tony Russi (68.18.38.32) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 02:48 pm:

I remember being in 10th grade World History class when someone from the front office came in and told the teacher who instructed us to a moment of silent prayer(which was allowed back then) even the bad ass red necks didn't say anything smart-which surprised me as I was expecting a fight.It was like a surreal numb feeling.Dr. King will always be a hero to me.

By Bong-Man (198.111.56.128) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 03:21 pm:

Eating cake in front of the TV on my 8th Birthday.

"Early morning April 4..shots ring out in a Memphis sky. Free at last they took your life, but they could not take your pride...In The Name of Love !! One More in the Name of Love !!"

Bono had the time wrong, but the spirit was there.