The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, elicited a range of responses from Americans123456. Black Americans were devastated, pained, and angered by his death. Violence erupted in more than 125 American cities across 29 states, and nearly 50,000 federal troops occupied America’s urban areas1. Many white Americans were saddened or appalled, while others felt untouched by the murder and some actually celebrated, calling King a “troublemaker”12. 

President Lyndon Johnson declared a national day of mourning and lowered American flags to half-mast15. King’s funeral in Atlanta drew leaders from around the world1. The New York Times wrote: “Dr. King’s murder is a national disaster”1. However, public perception of King was more mixed than it is today. Near the end of his life, only a third of the public viewed him positively, according to a 1966 Gallup poll2. 

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