The Assassination of Dr. King: A Firsthand Account

The Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles, former pastor of Monumental Baptist Church, was on the balcony with Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, and tells of those final moments, the aftermath, and the meaning that people drew from the tragic event. He recalled finally hearing about the fate of King, "We never used the word 'death' [...] They never said 'he died' [...] We say, 'we lost him, we lost him.'"