Funeral of Martin Luther King Jr. facts for kids
Coretta Scott King at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr., comforting their 5-year-old daughter, Bernice King.
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| Date | April 9, 1968 |
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| Location | Private funeral service: Ebenezer Baptist Church Atlanta, Georgia Public funeral service: Morehouse College Atlanta, Georgia |
After Martin Luther King Jr. was sadly killed on April 4, 1968, his first memorial service happened the next day. This service was held at the R. S. Lewis Funeral Home in Memphis, Tennessee.
Later, two main funeral services took place on April 9, 1968, in Atlanta, Georgia. The first was a private service for family and close friends. It was held at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Both King and his father had been pastors there.
After this, a three-mile procession moved to Morehouse College. This was King's old school. A public service was held there for everyone. President Lyndon B. Johnson announced April 7 as a national day of mourning for King.
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Why the Funeral Was Held
Martin Luther King Jr. was a very important civil rights leader. He was also a Baptist preacher and won the Nobel Peace Prize. On April 4, 1968, he was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee. He was there to support waste management workers who were on strike.
News of his death made many people in African American communities very sad and upset. This led to protests and unrest in some cities. These events happened between the day he was killed and the day of his funeral.
The governor of Georgia, Lester Maddox, did not want to give King a special state funeral. He even had state troopers guard the capitol building. He also did not want to lower the state flag. However, he had to when he learned it was a federal rule.
Some people worried that President Lyndon B. Johnson might face protests at the funeral. These protests were about the war in Vietnam. So, Vice President Hubert Humphrey attended the funeral instead.
Memphis Service: A Time to Say Goodbye
After he was shot, King was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital. He passed away at 7:05 p.m. His closest helpers called Robert Lewis Jr., a local funeral director. He had met King just two days before. Lewis prepared King's body for viewing.
Coretta Scott King, King's wife, arrived in Memphis the next morning. Her plane was arranged by Robert F. Kennedy. Hundreds of people came to the funeral home. They came to see King and attend a memorial service.
Ralph Abernathy said a prayer. Tears ran down Andrew Young's face. Many people who saw King's body were very emotional. Some kissed his face, and others touched him gently. Mrs. King remained strong, though heartbroken.
Later that day, police and National Guardsmen helped escort the cars. These cars carried King's body to the airport. From there, it was flown to Atlanta.
Atlanta Services: Honoring a Hero
The first service in Atlanta was private. It started at 10:30 a.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church. About 1,300 people attended this service. Many important people were there. These included labor leaders, foreign guests, and sports figures. Leaders from many different religions also came.
Reverend Ralph Abernathy gave a sermon. He called the event "one of the darkest hours of mankind." King's wife, Coretta, had a special request. She asked that King's last sermon be played. It was called the "Drum Major Instinct" sermon. He gave it on February 4, 1968.
In that sermon, King asked for something specific. He said that at his funeral, no one should mention his awards. Instead, he wanted people to say he tried to "feed the hungry" and "clothe the naked." He also wanted them to say he tried to "be right on the [Vietnam] war question." Most importantly, he wanted them to say he tried to "love and serve humanity."
King's good friend, Mahalia Jackson, sang his favorite hymn. It was "Take My Hand, Precious Lord." She sang it later that day at the public service.
The Procession: A Silent March
After the private funeral, King's casket was placed on a simple wooden farm wagon. Two mules, named Belle and Ada, pulled the wagon. The procession traveled three and a half miles. It went from Ebenezer Baptist Church to Morehouse College.
Over 100,000 people watched the procession. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference helped manage the crowd. The Atlanta Police Department managed traffic and helped important guests. The procession was mostly silent. Sometimes, people sang freedom songs. These were songs often sung during King's marches.
Many important people led the procession. King's family was there. Jesse Jackson carried the flag of the United Nations. John Lewis and Andrew Young were also present. Young later became mayor of Atlanta and an ambassador. Labor leader Walter Reuther also joined the procession.
The procession passed by the Georgia State Capitol building. At the end of the ceremony, everyone sang "We Shall Overcome."
Morehouse College: Final Farewell
The public and final service was held at Morehouse College. The college president, Benjamin Mays, gave the eulogy. He had also given a blessing after King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
After the funeral, King's casket was put into a hearse. This was his last trip to South-View Cemetery. This cemetery was mainly for African Americans. In 1970, his remains were moved. They are now at the plaza between the King Center and Ebenezer Church. His wife, Coretta, was buried next to him in 2006.
