Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr., an American clergyman and civil rights leader, was shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. King was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, and was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. CST. He was a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was known for his use of nonviolence and civil disobedience. James Earl Ray, a fugitive from the Missouri State Penitentiary, was arrested on June 8, 1968, in London at Heathrow Airport, extradited to the United States, and charged
Martin Luther King High School (Detroit) (1959–62). In September 1967, Eastern High School relocated to 3200 East Lafayette Boulevard; bordering historic Elmwood Cemetery, within walking distance of Detroit's central business district. In September 1968, Eastern was renamed as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High School; the official school colors were changed from orange and black, to gold and black; the school logo/mascot was changed from an American Indian, to the Crusaders. The Crusader women's basketball program has enjoyed tremendous success. Over the past twenty-six seasons, King High School – coached by William Winfield – has appeared in eleven Michigan High School Athletic Association championship finals