Martin Luther King Jr. assassination conspiracy theories Martin Luther King Jr. assassination conspiracy theories The conspiracy theories relating to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement, relate to different accounts of the assassination that took place on April 4, 1968, in Memphis Tennessee. King was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, one day after giving his final speech: "I've Been to the Mountaintop." Claims soon arose over suspect aspects of King's assassination and the role of the alleged assassin, James Earl Ray. Since MLK's assassin, James Earl Ray, pled guilty early on, there was no trial. Suspicions
Martin Luther King Jr. Day discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000. The idea of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday was promoted by labor unions in contract negotiations. After King's death, U.S. Representative John Conyers