Monday, April 9 marks the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral in his hometown of Atlanta.
The anniversary will be marked with the March for Humanity through the streets of downtown Atlanta.
The march is scheduled for noon, starting from Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park on Auburn Avenue and ending at Liberty Plaza near the Georgia State Capitol.
Ecumenical Service April 23: Atlanta's Cathedral of Christ the King will host an ecumenical prayer service in commemoration of King's death at 7 p.m. Monday, April 23, 2018. The cathedral is located at 2699 Peachtree Road, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30305. Event information
Recalling the 1968 funeral and march in Atlanta
Editor's note: Martin Luther King Jr. was killed by an assassin's bullet on April 4, 1968. His funeral notice from The Atlanta Constitution was published on April 8, 1968 and is reprinted here.
KING -- Services for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be held for the immediate family and members of the Ebenezer Baptist Church at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 9, 1968 from Ebenezer Baptist Church, Rev. Ralph David Abernathy officiating. The procession will leave Ebenezer at 11 o'clock and proceed to the Morehouse College Campus for the service which is open to all at 1 p.m.
Dr. King is survived by his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King; children, Yolanda Denise (12), Martin Luther III (10), Dexter Scott (7), Bernice Albertine (5); parents Rev. and Mrs. Martin Luther King Sr.; sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Farris Sr. and children, Isaac Jr., Angela Christine, brother and sister-in-law, Rev. and Mrs. A.D. Williams King, and children, Alveda Celeste, A.D. Williams II, Derek Barber, Esther Darlene, Vernon Christopher; three uncles, four aunts, a large number of relatives and countless thousands of admiring and loving friends and followers the world over. For those who would like to express their appreciation to Dr. King and his family by sending flowers it is suggested that contributions be made to the Martin Luther King Memorial Fund. This fund will be used to perpetrate and perpetuate the ideas of Dr. King. The remains will be viewed at the church until 9 a.m. Tuesday. Entombment at South View Cemetery. Family will assemble at 234 Sunset Ave. N.W. Hanley's Bell St.
Funeral Home and Marcellous Thornton, mortician in charge.
Published in The Atlanta Constitution April 8, 1968
»The 1968 funeral: Atlanta’s 4-mile goodbye to Martin Luther King Jr.
Where is Martin Luther King Jr. buried?
As his obituary said, Martin Luther King Jr. was originally buried at South View Cemetery. Two years later, his body was moved to Auburn Avenue, where it would eventually be placed in the tomb at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.
»Local and indepth: How the AJC covered the civil rights movement
The March 21 documentary 'The Last Days of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.' on Channel 2 kicked off a countdown of remembrance across the combined platforms of Channel 2 and its partners, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and WSB Radio.
The three Atlanta news sources will release comprehensive multi-platform content until April 9, the anniversary of King’s funeral.
On April 4, the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination, the three properties will devote extensive live coverage to the memorials in Atlanta, Memphis and around the country.
The project will present a living timeline in real time as it occurred on that day in 1968, right down to the time the fatal shot was fired that ended his life an hour later.
The project will culminate on April 9 with coverage of the special processional in Atlanta marking the path of Dr. King’s funeral, which was watched by the world.
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