The Assassination of MLK: Why Do We Accept the 'Easy' Truth

 

The Assassination of MLK: Why Do We Accept the 'Easy' Truth

By: Lauren Fantone

It was almost as if the world stopped. We sat huddled at our classroom desks with small speckles of sunlight peeking through the curtains and sprawling across the faces of observant students. As we sat silent, we listened to John Lennon's Imagine and tried to relate to the simple, yet captivating lyrics. The idea that people could live amongst one another in peace, with the ability to be 'one' seemed almost elementary and out of reach. In fact, this simple notion has been something that many people have tried to instill for years, but it always seems to be too far out of reach. I reference this particular moment from my senior year English class as we had been discussing the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. and his continuous fight for equality and peace, which has the unforeseen ability to be related back to the song above. His activism inspired the masses to let go of the gradualist approach to civil rights and adopt an assertive attitude that change can be achieved through nonviolent methods, in order to gain something African Americans should have had in the first place: equality and freedom. 

Martin Luther King Jr. was arguably one of the most influential individuals during the Civil Rights Movement and his impact on civil rights advances hardly goes unnoticed, but it is hard to imagine what else he could have accomplished and who else he could have inspired if he was not taken from us so early. 

There have been countless conspiracy theories surrounding MLK's untimely death, but before I discuss my opinion, I think it is important to introduce the history of what happened. 

The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. occurred on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was shot while standing on his balcony outside his third-floor room at the Lorraine Hotel, while he was speaking to his colleagues standing in the parking area below. An assassin had fired a shot that hit King's right cheek, shattered his jaw, several vertebrae and severed his spinal cord, which led to his death later that evening (ABC, n.d.). This is an important detail as eyewitnesses noticed the shot originated from the rear of a neighboring boarding house across the street. On June 8, authorities apprehended the suspect in King's murder, a small-town criminal known as James Earl Ray, in London's Heathrow Airport. It is reported that witnesses saw the white male fleeing from the same building the shots came from, carrying a bundle. The rifle that was used in the murder was found with Ray's fingerprints on it, along with a scope and a pair of binoculars. 

The Balcony at Lorraine Hotel. Credit: Getty Images, 1968. 

The circumstances surrounding his death allowed authorities to close the case confidently, however, there have always been doubts as to whether or not James Earl Ray actually committed the murder himself. I do not necessarily support the idea that James Earl Ray is the sole individual that murdered Martin Luther King Jr., as I believe that other individuals were involved and set up Ray to take the fall. For instance, James Earl Ray initially pled guilty to the murder of King, but he recanted his statement three days later and maintained his innocence ever since. As he served the 99 year prison sentence, he tried several times to be granted another trial or instill reasonable doubt in the minds of others. I think it is important to establish that he was not denying the fact that he was involved, but he did claim that he was not alone in this conspiracy. He claimed that a gun-smuggler known as Raoul instructed him to purchase a rifle, obtain a room across the street, and then go to a movie (leaving the gun behind) (Little, 2018). Although authorities say that this is unlikely and they were unable to find anyone known as Raoul, one witness was willing to testify that they had seen Ray with an individual that could have been him and that they had themselves been involved in the same conspiracy to kill King. 

FBIs Most Wanted Poster. Credit: Getty Images, 1968.

I think it is important to emphasize that I am not saying Ray is an innocent bystander, but I do believe that his so-called 'reasoning' for killing King was a little far-fetched. It was known that James Earl Ray was a supporter of the segregationist George Wallace, who was certainly an outspoken individual who embodied the resistance to the Civil Rights Movement. If he was openly supportive of Wallace and his racist ideals, he would probably be proud to admit to assassinating MLK Jr. For instance, it is a common theme that individuals who end up assassinating or killing other important figures do so in an attempt to look like a 'hero', and would be proud to openly support their actions. I think someone who supported these same ideologies would stand tall and state that they stopped the Civil Rights leader, and did so in order to maintain segregation in the south. 

In addition, he had a strong track record of being a criminal throughout his life, having committed crimes such as robbery and theft. I am not sure as to whether someone like Ray could have escaped from authorities for that long - even traveling internationally - when he was continuously caught after his other minor crimes. I think it is interesting to think about why someone like Ray would have jumped from committing petty crimes to all of a sudden committing an act like murder.

The largest component of the conspiracy is that Martin Luther King Jr.'s own family, including his widow, Coretta Scott King, believed that James Earl Ray was innocent. His family even went as far as to establish the idea that the FBI may have been involved in King's death. Coretta Scott King emphasizes the idea that the FBI had consistently harassed their family, wiretapped their home phones, and threatened to expose King's personal secrets (Little, 2018). I think the way the FBI treated the King family is something that should be known, whether or not they were actually involved in his death. In addition, Dexter King, the son of MLK Jr., visited Ray in jail and once again decided that he was held wrongfully for something he did not do. It is hard to imagine why Ray would have gone through so much trouble in order to prove his innocence. 

Dexter King Meeting with James Earl Ray. Credit: State of Tennessee, Earl Warren/AP Photo. 

There is a substantial amount of evidence that points to inconsistencies and raises questions in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. I do not believe that James Earl Ray was the sole assassin involved, and although authorities claim they do not have enough evidence to reopen the case, I think that it should definitely be looked into. It is hard to imagine that a petty criminal like Ray could have killed someone as prominent and influential as the Civil Rights leader, which leads me to believe that others were involved and not held accountable for the part they played in the conspiracy. I am confident in stating that there are large inconsistencies in the facts that led to Ray's arrest, and the political and social unrest felt during the time may have also determined who was held accountable for such actions. I think it was easy to pin this assassination on Ray as he had a previous criminal record and had ties to racial ideals throughout the south. My opinion stands on the fact that Ray was not an innocent bystander, and he was not the only person involved in the conspiracy or plan to murder Martin Luther King Jr. I wholeheartedly support and encourage the theories that circulate because they allow us to look further into this tragic historical event and they hopefully may lead us to the entire truth.

References:

1. ABC news. (n.d.). Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://abcnews.go.com/US/assassination-martin-luther-king-jr/story?id=54095424

2. Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (2020, August 04). Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/assassination-martin-luther-king-jr

3. History.com Editors. (2010, January 28). Martin Luther King Jr. assassination. Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr-assassination

4. Little, B. (2018, April 04). Why Martin Luther King's family believes James Earl Ray was not his killer. Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://www.history.com/news/who-killed-martin-luther-king-james-earl-ray-mlk-assassination