assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. This
story should be read and studied by those
that were not around at the time so they'll
know the frustration that blacks went through
at that time in history.
Forty years ago today, the District was emerging from three days of riots that began after the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Hundreds of stores had been looted or burned. Thousands of federal troops were standing by to prevent further disturbances. And residents had witnessed chilling scenes that would remain vivid in their minds for decades.
In April 1968, students and store owners, civil rights activists and politicians, police and firefighters had encountered a wave of rage, pent-up frustration and lawlessness that devastated the commercial strips along Seventh and 14th streets NW and H Street NE.
Trouble began barely an hour after King's death on April 4, a Thursday. When a brick crashed through a window of a Peoples Drug Store at 14th and U, it was the beginning of a frenzy of looting, burning and violence.
Washington's disturbances were a visceral reaction to King's assassination, but they were also a response to racial tensions in a city where blacks were angered by inflated prices at neighborhood stores, real or perceived cases of housing and job discrimination, and incidents of brutality by a predominantly white police force.
During the first 24 hours, police and firefighters struggled to keep pace. Fires had consumed whole blocks by the time the first of 13,000 federal troops arrived Friday afternoon.
Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top
It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that
tells the story of the Civil Rights
movement and the life of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
To learn more and hear
excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
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