Reverend Samuel Kyles speaks about the assassination and enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King

04 April 2008

The Embassy presents this video clip of the Reverend Samuel "Billy" Kyles speaking about the assassination and enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to a group of young Britons associated with UK minority leadership development organization the Windsor Fellowship at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. The group of British students was visiting the United States on a study tour organized by U.S. Embassy London and U.S. non-profit Interfaith Youth Core in partnership with the Windsor Fellowship. The National Civil Rights Museum is built around the site of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

The Reverend Samuel "Billy" Kyles is a longtime leader in the civil rights movement, and has been pastor of the Monumental Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, since 1959. After Memphis sanitation workers went on strike in February, 1968 due to low wages and inhumane working conditions, Rev. Kyles helped to form and lead the effort to gain community support for the striking workers. Part of that effort involved persuading the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to come to Memphis in support of the strike.

Their success resulted in Dr. King coming to Memphis and leading a major march that ended uncharacteristically in violence. It was later learned that the violence was caused by paid provocateurs. Dr. King returned to Memphis to lead another, peaceful, protest held on April 3, 1968. The next day Rev. Kyles and his family planned to host Dr. King for a meal at their home. Dr. King was assassinated as they prepared to leave the Lorraine Motel go to the Kyles' home. Dr. King's spent the last hour of his life with Rev. Kyles and Rev. Ralph Abernathy in his room at the Lorraine Motel. Kyles has maintained his involvement with civil rights work since the 1960s, fulfilling a commitment to be a faithful "witness" to Dr. King's life and the principles he promoted.