On April 9, 1968, 150,000 mourners took part in a daylong series of rituals honoring King-the largest funeral staged for a private U.S.
An unlikely alliance of former student radicals, the middle-aged patrician mayor, the no-nonsense police chief, black ministers, white churchgoers, Atlanta’s business leaders, King’s grieving family members, and his stunned SCLC colleagues worked to keep Atlanta safe, honor a murdered hero, and host the tens of thousands who came to pay tribute. For five days, Atlanta braced for chaos while preparing to host King’s funeral. In the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, riots broke out in 110 cities across the country.
