THE STAGE DARKENS FOR THE FUNERAL
OF DR. kING AT EBENEZER CHURCH.
Coretta Scott King
The funeral was held at
Ebenezer Baptist Church. It could only seat eight hundred but
over one hundred and fifty thousand came to pay their respects
to Martin. There were diplomats, government officials,
congressmen, governors, mayors, judges, ministers and the
people. Black and white, liberals and militants, a beautiful
example of the brotherhood which he worked for in life and
achieved in death.
THE DRUM MAJOR INSTINCT
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
February 4, 1968
Atlanta, Georgia
If any of you are
around, when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral.
And if you get someone to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk
too long. Every now and then I wonder what I want them to say.
Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel peace prize that isn't
important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four
hundred other awards, that's not important. Tell them not to
mention where I went to school. I'd like somebody to mention that
day, that Martin Luther King jr. tried to give his life serving
others. I'd like for somebody to say that day, that Martin Luther
King Jr. tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day, that I
tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say
that day, that I did try to feed the hungry. And I want you to be
able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who
were naked. I want you to say on that day that I did try in my
life, to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I
tried to love and serve humanity. Yes, I want you to say that I was
a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I
was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness.
And all the other shallow things won't matter. I won't have any
money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things
of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life
behind. That is all I want to say... If I can help somebody as I
pass along if I can cheer somebody with a cheer or song, then my
living will not be in vain...
Martin’s four children
approach the casket.
GONE TOO SOON
Lyrics and music by MICHAEL JACKSON
From the album DANGEROUS
DEXTER KING
LIKE
A COMET
BLAZING 'CROSS THE EVENING SKY
GONE
TOO SOON
HARRY BELAFONTE
LIKE
A RAINBOW
FADING IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE
GONE
TOO SOON
JOHN LEWIS
SHINY AND SPARKLY
AND
SPLENDIDLY BRIGHT
HERE
ONE DAY
GONE
ONE NIGHT
ANDREW YOUNG
LIKE
THE LOSS OF SUNLIGHT
ON A
CLOUDY AFTERNOON
GONE
TOO SOON
CORETTA SCOTT KING
LIKE
A CASTLE
BUILT UPON A SANDY BEACH
GONE
TOO SOON
JESSE JACKSON
LIKE
A PERFECT FLOWER
THAT
IS JUST BEYOND YOUR REACH
GONE
TOO SOON
RALPH ABERNATHY
BORN
TO AMUSE, TO INSPIRE TO DELIGHT
HERE
ONE DAY
GONE
ONE NIGHT
BILLY KYLES
LIKE
A SUNSET DYING WITH THE
RISING OF THE MOON
GONE
TOO SOON
THE CASKET IS CLOSED. And
the funeral procession begins.
Defense
Lawyer
Your
government has a table full of evidence; I only have four
pictures for you to see. You might think they are the pictures
of Dexter, Martin III, Bernice and Yolanda, Dr. King’s four
children, but they aren’t. These are the prosecution's own
pictures. He has already shown them to you today. But this
time I want you to see them from a different angle. Who shot
Dr. King? Too many witnesses saw a man in the bushes at the
time of the shooting. That is what they are pointing at in this
picture. Ask them. They are here. Better yet... Ask me. I
was there... on the balcony at the Lorraine Motel April 4, 6:01
p.m. That's me. And I was pointing at those bushes.
District Attorney
Objection Your Honor. Ms.
Carlota must recuse herself. She has withheld vital information
from this court. I declare a mistrial. Thank you Ms. Canelia
for not disclosing your personal involvement in the case.
DEFENSE LAWYER
This is not a trial but a
grand jury evidentiary hearing where all relevant information in
the case can be presented regardless of its source. Any
evidence legally obtained, affidavits or eyewitness testimony is
admissible.
Judge
Counsel is correct.
Objection overruled.
Defense Lawyer
I was at the Masonic Temple
the night before when Dr. King told us that he would not get to
the Promised Land with us. No one understood what he meant.
The following evening, a little before six, I was at the other
end of the balcony when Dr. King came out of his room. He was
leaning on the railing when the shot was fired. At first every
one ducked. Then we ran towards room 306. The shot ripped off
his necktie and smashed him against the concrete balcony. "Oh!"
was all I heard. Nothing more. The bullet smashed his jawbone
and blood spilled from the gaping hole on his neck. Andrew
Young felt for Dr. King's pulse. Abernathy cradled his head.
They were trying to stop the bleeding with a towel. Rev. Kyles
was pounding the bed in the motel room trying desperately to get
an ambulance. Dr. King was trying to say something but his lips
were not moving. His eyes wobbled for an instant and focused on
Rev. Abernathy. As I saw him lying on the cold floor, I knew
that the dream was dead. He was only thirty-nine... I was only
fourteen.
District Attorney
If you were there on the
balcony, why aren't you on the list of police witnesses?
Defense Lawyer
Because, I was a black motel
cleaning girl. They questioned everyone who was in the area at
the time. I was ten feet away but no one ever bothered to ask
me what I saw. Andrew Young, Rev. Orange and I thought the shot
came from the bushes. So many questions went unanswered that
day. Look closely at this picture. Who is this man kneeling by
our fallen leader? It is Marrell McCollough a government
informant who now works for the CIA. Our government wants you
to believe that the shot came from the bathroom. Years later, I
went into that boarding house, and the physical condition of it
is such that you could not get a shot from that window. The
window is almost completely closed and is directly above a
bathtub. To shoot out of it you would have to stand in the
bathtub and crouch down. To move the rifle in the direction of
the Lorraine Motel you would have to be a left-handed person.
Thirty-five years later, nobody has been able to duplicate that
shot. To achieve the angle that struck Dr. King the butt of the
rifle needs to be embedded six inches into the wall. But more
importantly, what are we pointing at? See for yourself. You
are standing in the exact spot where Dr. King was shot. Point
at the bushes. They are twelve feet higher than the balcony at
the Lorraine Motel. Twelve feet higher.
she gestures with her hand
and moves it in the same position as she has in the photograph by
joseph louw.
When I finally went home, I
cried and went to bed. I could not sleep. So I got up and I
returned to work around five o’clock the next morning. I found
it strange that sanitation workers who were supposed to be on
strike were cutting down the bushes where we thought the shot
came from.
she Goes to the evidence
table.
This bullet ended Dr. King's
life. Three metal fragments. This is the body of Dr. King taken
during the autopsy. See the bullet in one piece. The autopsy
report confirms that the bullet was removed in one piece. Why
is the bullet in three pieces on this table? We spoke to the
coroner. In his sworn affidavit, the bullet was removed in
pristine condition but more importantly; it was removed in one
piece. Who destroyed this crucial piece of evidence? Why? Is
it so that it could never be proven that there were two rifles
at the scene? The one purchased by James Earl Ray, which was
placed in the bag that was found and the actual rifle used in
the shooting. There were two rifles. That is why no ballistic
test has ever been done on this bullet that conclusively links
it to the rifle purchased by James Earl Ray. After the
assassination there was an announcement made at 6:30 p.m. on the
police radio in Memphis. This announcement claimed they had
spotted the white mustang and were in pursuit of it in the
northern part of the city. It was asking all other units to
join in the chase. Meanwhile the true culprits were heading
south. The radio announcement turned out to be a hoax. Grace
Walden, the only eyewitness who saw the man leaving the bathroom
after the shooting, was placed in a mental institution for 10
years because the description of the man she saw leaving the
bathroom did not match that of James Earl Ray. Finally, the
prosecution contends that there is no physical evidence linking
the government with the death of Dr. King. Because the FBI had
been put in charge of investigating itself, any evidence that
was found was be destroyed or buried within the sealed
transcripts. Except one.
SHE PUSHEs ASide ALL THE
D.A.’S EVIDENCE TO ONE SIDE AND PLACES THE SINGLE SHEET OF PAPER ON
THE TABLE.
This letter, this piece of
paper cast a shadow of doubt on all this evidence presented by
your government. Given what the FBI did to Dr. King in the last
five years of his life, how could we the people, let them head
the investigation? With all the nightmares they created for him
it was a miracle that he could still dream. We allowed the
arsonist to conduct the fire investigation. This document
written by the FBI, and recently declassified by the government,
tells me that we need to take a closer look at the rifle, at the
motel receipts, at the map in James Earl Ray's apartment, at the
car he drove, at his confession, at the entire matter. Even the
unheard testimony of a fourteen-year-old black cleaning girl who
thirty-five years later still awakes terrified by the nightmare
on that balcony. Every night I see Dr. King standing at the
Lorraine. Just standing where he was shot. He is on the
balcony today waiting for justice. The people rest their case.
THE JUDGE NODS HIS HEAD AS
IF TO INDICATE THAT THIS ANALYSIS DOES NOT CONTRADICT ANY OF THE
PREVIOUS TESTIMONIES. THE D.A. LOOKS AT THE EVIDENCE TABLE. HE
LOOKS AT THE LETTER VISIBLY DISTURBED. He Walks up to the defense
attorney and whispers to her.
District Attorney
If the grand jury reopens the case
I will have this letter suppressed in my appeal.
Judge
I will hear your closing
arguments Dr. Battle.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Members of the grand jury, we
must lay to rest the need of evidence in this investigation, for
as we have all seen, the defense has not been able to produce
any credible evidence to back their affidavits of a government
conspiracy except a letter. Did James Earl Ray shoot Martin
Luther King? All the evidence needed to make a decision in this
case, are on the table before us.
WALKS TOWARD THE GRAND JURY.
Once the testimonies of all
these new witnesses are shorn of all the emotional nonsense and
coached conspiracy theories, the true facts of that tragic day
emerge with crystal clarity which were:
1. The civil rights leader
was engaged in an enterprise far different from the calling from
the pulpit. The civil unrest caused by his actions before and
after his death resulted in hundreds of deaths, millions of
dollars in property damage and greater separation between whites
and blacks.
2. Mr. King's death was not
the result of a government conspiracy but of the actions of
James Earl Ray. He admitted being in the area at the time of
the shooting. He admitted buying the rifle from which the shot
came. He admitted firing that shot.
3. James Earl Ray never
provided a credible alibi on the day of the shooting. And his
guilt is evident by his actions after he shot Dr. King. He fled
the country.
4. The fact that not a single
witness that does not have a financial interest in this case has
ever emerged to substantiate the claims of a conspiracy. Even
Lloyd Jowers, who six years ago on Sixty Minutes, claimed to have
paid for the assassination, has not yet named any accomplices.
Is he holding out for a movie deal?
5. The silence by the signers
of this affidavit for thirty-five years. Dexter, Coretta, John,
Harry, Jesse and Andy, come on! All of you have made a career
out of your association to Mr. King. Let’s put closure to this
financial windfall.
6. While his circle of aides
say he was gone too soon, and his work was never finished
I do believe it was. If Mr. King had marched on Washington with
his Poor People’s Campaign, he would have pushed this entire
nation into civil and economical war. That is why a concerned
white American took it upon himself to silence this uprising.
These affidavits are a reflection of financial concern.
Attendance at the Center for Nonviolent Change in Atlanta is
down. The public no longer celebrates King's birthday.
Honestly, ask yourself what did you do in January to commemorate
non-violence and civil rights? This trial is nothing more than a
new marketing strategy to revitalize the myth and the man. The
government did keep authorized wiretaps on Mr. King. They were
worried about his association with Stokely Carmichael a known
communist and the more radical members of the Black Panthers.
But they also kept them on other Black leaders like Elijah
Muhammad, Malcolm X and Medgar Evers and we know that this
government was not involved in their deaths. Finally, the
letter. The letter... This letter of unknow origin, for it has
not been signed, only proves the Mr. King was not liked by
everyone. Anyone could have written that letter. But I do have
another letter that is signed. This letter is a confession by
the sole assassin James Earl Ray signed and witnessed in a court
of law. When asked if he understood the charge of murder in the
first degree, because you killed Mr. Martin Luther King, Ray
responded “yes” in front of twelve jurors. Which of these two
documents carries more weight in this court of law?
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY TEARS
MRS. KING’S LETTER AND THROWS IT ON THE FLOOR.
Ask yourself one simple
question: What was James Earl Ray doing in Memphis with a
high-powered rifle in the room across from the hotel on the day
where Mr. King was assassinated? Members of the grand jury,
when you go home, you can look your children in the eye and tell
them that you upheld the law tonight. You made a decision based
on the evidence on this table. Let the confession stand as it
is. Toss out the request to reopen this investigation. James
Earl Ray had his day in court. Here is the document that proves
it. When you wake up from the dream and strip the myth from the
man, the truth becomes evident. James Earl Ray is guilty of
the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. Guilty. Wake up, the dream
is over. Thank you.
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
returns TO HIS DESK Confident THAT HIS closing arguments has
affected the grand jury’s decision.
Defense Lawyer
We came here in search of the
truth and if your eyes have not seen all the unusual
circumstances surrounding the assassination of Martin Luther
King Jr. on April 4th it is because most of the
evidence has been withheld from its rightful owners. Evidence
has been ignored, the truth has been suppressed and justice has
been denied.
The defense lawyer picks up
the two pieces of paper and puts the letter together once again with
a slight of hand.
You must understand that Dr.
King was murdered because he loved justice. Justice for all
Americans-- black, white, rich and poor. Justice for you and
justice for me. Some people cannot comprehend his moral
convictions, for it goes against all reason in a world that
demands payment for its services and punishment for its crimes.
SHE LEANS ON THE RAILING.
Martin Luther King Jr.
desegregated buses, registered Negro voters and ended most
discrimination in this country. He could have gone back to the
pulpit because his job was done. But I am sure that you do
understand that justice and equality is not a job. The things
that he fought for were inscribed in the constitution of this
country. But you cannot legislate the conscience of men. Most
great men whose actions have changed the course of the world
have required six or seven decades and their deeds soon fade
from our memory. Martin Luther King Jr. renounced his life in
his late thirties after twelve years of public life. This
citizen of the world, father of four met with presidents and
garbage workers with the same moral convictions and compassion.
In a nation tenaciously racist, a Negro sensitized its
conscience; in a nation sick with violence, a colored man
preached nonviolence; in a nation corrosive with alienation an
African-American preached love; in a world embroiled in war a
black man preached peace.
Walks toward the grand jury.
When an assassin’s bullet
ended his life, it failed in its purpose. More people heard his
message in four days than in the twelve years he preached it.
His voice was silenced but his message rang loudly around the
world. Now, it is our job to see that what he said and did does
not diminish even a little bit in the next twenty-five years.
Because most of us here tonight, especially the eyewitnesses of
these events; the ones who marched alongside Dr. King will not
be around when our government in the year 2029 unseals those
transcripts. I want you to follow the D.A.’s request and look
into the eyes of your children. They are a reflection of what
our nation will become tomorrow.
SHE Turns away from the
grand jury and looks at the district attorney.
If you do not like what you
see, you still have the power to change it. But if you look in
their eyes and you see signs of humbleness, equality, love for
others and some of the other virtues that Dr. King fought and
died for, this country will be better than the one you and me
will leave behind.
the district attorney turns
to his son.
When you leave here today, be
sure to tell your children and grandchildren about Dr. King's
dream, the mountaintop and the Promised Land. Tell them why
they celebrate January 15th and why they are free to
choose the college they wish to attend. By doing that, the
significance of those documents will not be lost as the truth
concealed within their pages uncovers who silenced Dr. King and
why. It is your job to ensure that Martin Luther King Jr. does
not become a footnote in the history books of the next century
as your government wishes. It is your job to remember the
dream, live the dream and share the dream over and over again,
unless, of course, you prefer to change your job description
from an employee of social tolerance to the CEO of justice and
equality. As the newly appointed CEO, you can reissue that
post-dated check and cash in the entire truth right now so this
generation, your stockholders, can celebrate the dream. With
your new appointment, you can order the U.S. Government to
turnover the information of its involvement in Dr. King’s death
by the close of business today. As CEO, you can begin to hand
out pink slips in the form of federal indictments to all of
those involved in the moral downsizing of America. We must hold
this government accountable now; because in this new millennium,
it is your son or your daughter who will one day speak out
against the establishment without knowing how our government
silenced the heroes of our generation who dared to exercise
their constitutional right. In twelve short years, he evoked
more respect for black people than an entire preceding century
had produced. Dr. King's dream is not dead as I first thought
when I ran out on the balcony. Today his dream allows millions
of black Americans to emerge from spiritual and financial
imprisonment. The thunder of millions of feet that preceded
these deeds has become the dream that woke the nation. From the
mountaintop, Dr. King said he saw the Promised Land. Now I
finally understand what Dr. King meant. I’m on the mountaintop
now, and I too see the Promised Land. It’s there...
she points to a child in the
audience. Everyone she singles out stands up in their place.
It’s there and there. Black,
white, young, and old. It’s there and there. Behold the
Promised Land. You are the people Dr. King dreamed of.
she singles OUT members in
the audience.
We are the Promised Land
and the dream lives. Very few people know how humble the 1964
"Man of the Year" was. He had an inexhaustible faith in people,
and the multitudes had it in him. He organized armies in the
open streets so that today you can drink out of that water
fountain or again use the facilities in this building or vote
for whatever cause moves your conscience. Ask your congressman
what is their stance on the sealed transcripts. Ask your
senators what is their position before these next elections. We
need to mobilize this army once again. He did it for us. Let’s
do it for him this time. Let’s send a clear signal tonight. We
want the truth, the whole truth and the names of those who kept
us from getting the truth. Did James Earl Ray shoot Martin
Luther King from a bathroom window in Memphis? I don’t think
so. Do I want to know why Ray confessed to this crime and then
changed his mind three days later? Yes, I do. Do you want to
know who changed Dr. King's room assignment the day before the
shooting? Yes, you do. Do you want to know why all the black
officers assigned to protect Dr. King were not there on April
4? Yes, you do. Do you want to know who in the government
wrote this letter to Dr. King threatening his life 34 days
before he was killed? Yes, you do. Do you want to know how
James Earl Ray got from Atlanta, to Canada, to London to
Portugal and back to London where he was captured without any
money or identification papers? Yes, you do. Do you want to
know who really shot Dr. King?
Members of the grand jury
respond in unison.
GRAND JURY
Yes, we do!
Defense Lawyer
Then it is your duty to throw
out James Earl Ray’s confession. Order a new trial and mandate
that the sealed transcripts be opened today. Martin Luther King
Jr. once again has a voice. You are that voice. You are his
dream. Let’s show them how much weight this letter carries.
Mrs. King told us not long ago that she kept this letter in her
Bible.
She picks up the bible from
her table and reads anD the words are displayed on the backdrop
behind her.
She used it to mark a passage
that tells us of another dreamer and how they dealt with him.
"Behold, here cometh the dreamer. Let us slay him. Then we
shall see what becomes of his dreams". Genesis 37: 19-20.
Thank you.
As the grand JURy
deliberates a collage of images are displayed on the screen
depicting never seen photographs of dr. king and the civil rights
movement. the music is a montage of songs from that era REMINISCING
the struggle of its participants. ONE BY ONE AS THE BAILIFF PASSES,
THE members of the grand jury HAND IN THEIR ballots STATING THEIR
DECISION. The JUDGE ADDRESSES the grand jury.
Judge
You were instructed that to
reopen this investigation granting this appeal to throw out the
confession of James Earl Ray in the assassination of Dr. King,
the decision had to be unanimous. Have you reached a unanimous
decision?
Jury forman
standing from the audience.
We have Your Honor.
Judge
What say you?
Juror
We the jury believe that a
crime was committed. We find James Earl Ray is guilty...
Coretta, Andy young, Harry
belafonte, Dexter king, john lewis and Jesse Jackson hang their
heads in DISAPPOINTMENT. A gasp is heard across the courtroom.
... Your Honor...but guilty
of perjury, for confessing to a crime that we believe he did not
commit. We the Grand jury wish to throw out his confession to
the charge of murder, until the government produces all the
evidence it has in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. Including the sealed transcripts, CIA and FBI documents,
Army and intelligence reports and disclose the whereabouts of
Marrell McCollough. We have an indictment for him as well as
for Frank Holloman, Jerry and John Ray. We would like to talk
to them too. We also would request that the rifle allegedly
used in the shooting be resubmitted for immediate forensic
testing with the new technology available today. We also
understand that Lloyd Jowers has requested full immunity in
exchange for his testimony on the events of April 4. We the
grand jury grant full immunity to him and all those who wish to
testify in this case, including William Pepper. We are dying to
hear what he has to say. We also recommend reimbursing the King
family for all the expenses incurred in this case so far and
that the U.S. Government set aside the necessary funding until
this case is closed. And that closure will come when all
parties implicated in the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
are brought to justice for there is no statute of limitations on
murder.
DR. king’s associates
EMBRACE AS the judge hammers for silence.
Judge
On April 4, 1968, a single
bullet tore a hole in America's history. Dr. King's death
constitutes the greatest loss suffered by the republic this
century. James Earl Ray’s confession to the murder of Dr. King
has been overturned. And the conspiracy verdict has been
upheld. This court will begin hearing preliminary motions
tomorrow morning to set a trial date on the assassination. I
order the U.S. Government to turnover the sealed transcripts to
be made public at once.
The District Attorney
stands.
Does the prosecution wish to
appeal this decision?
THE COURT QUIETS DOWN.
BEVERLY COURTNEY HANDS HIM THE LETTER ONCE AGAIN. HE LOOKS AT IT;
FOLDS IT, and CAREFULLY places it inside the bible once again. He
HANDS IT BACK TO MRS. CORETTA SCOTT KING. TAKES A LOOK AT THE
DEFENSE TABLE AND TURNS TO HIS SON.
DISTRICT
ATTORNEY
The prosecution finds no
reasons to appeal this decision Your Honor. The evidence of this
tragedy has been adequately presented by Ms... by Dr. Beverly
Courtney, the court appointed defense council.
THE COURT ONCE AGAIN BURSTS
INTO ELATED applause. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS SEEN APPROACHING THE DEFENSE
TABLE AND CONGRATULATING THE LAWYERS. w. PRESTON BATTLE iii
APPROACHES HIM. THEY EMBRACE AND HE EXCHANGES WORDS WITH HIS SON.
THEIR FIRST WORDS IN four YEARS.
DR. w. PRESTON BATTLE II WAS
Nominated, CONFIRMED AS A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, AND NOW IS FIGHTING
TO REVERSE THE PRAYER IN SCHOOL BAN DECISION OF 1986. he is the
only DISSENTING JUDGE in favor of affirmative action.
w. PRESTON BATTLE III is a
civil rights attorney in Atlanta Georgia. he works for the center
for non-violence social change. He graduated from MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
in Atlanta. He declined the scholarship from Harvard.
DR. BEVERLY COURTNEY OPENED
HER PRIVATE PRACTICE FIRM IN BULKHEAD. SHE HAS Agreed TO submit
on
behalf of the king family the briefs for the new trial of James Earl
ray and the grand jury's request to unseal the transcripts. She
has been requested to tell her story for the first time in
THIRTY-Five years. her nightmares have ceased. The stage darkens.
the BED ONCE AGAIN RE-APPEARS CENTER STAGE. Beverly cOURtNEY sleeps
soundly.
T
H E E N D
Tomorrow
I wake with second wind and strong because of pride. I know I fought
with all my heart to keep the dream alive..
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