Remembering Assassination of MLK
As people look back and remember the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his legacy and untimely assassination leave a lasting impression on their lives. For those who lived during the turbulent times of the late 1960′s, April 4, 1968 was a day they will never forget.
Just two months prior to his death, Robert F. Kennedy was also assassinated and left the American people in a state of confusion and rebellion. And two years before that the beloved and charismatic John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas. For Larry Garrett, who was 21 years old that year, King’s death was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“The thing that really struck me was that another one of our great leaders had been assassinated,” explained Garrett.
Garrett was attending Dallas Baptist University and living in Dallas in 1968. He found it difficult living in the South during the Civil Rights movement and truly felt a common bond with the black community.
“I had long hair at the time and I could identify with the persecution and didn’t think it was right,” said Garrett. “I would get pulled over by police and couldn’t go into restaurants because of my long hair. I was treated just like a black person.”
Living in Dallas grew to be intolerable for Garrett and he eventually moved to California to escape the harassment of being labeled “white trash” and “white scum.”
Garrett remembers when King was assassinated that many in Dallas would even say “that he had it coming”, “that he got what he deserved.” This mindset shocked and appalled him. He wanted nothing to do with it.
“It made me feel that our country and our government was really messed up,” said Garrett. “I didn’t want to have anything to do with the establishment.”
He remembers the racial riots that took place after the assassination. In the midst of the Vietnam war, King’s death and the conflicts that arose afterward were almost too much to bare for Garrett.
“I felt lost – my peers were lost, our generation was lost,” recalled Garrett.
He expressed how he felt a deep sadness for the black community and the Civil Rights Movement. Even though Garrett is white, the death of one of the greatest African-American leaders greatly affected his outlook and his life.
