Redemption: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Last 31 Hours

by Joseph Rosenbloom

An “immersive, humanizing, and demystifying” look at the final hours of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life as he seeks to revive the non-violent civil rights movement and push to end poverty in America (Charles Blow, New York Times). “King comes to life in death—a courage ever so inspiring.” —Ibram X. Kendi, author of Stamped from the Beginning At 10:33 a.m. on April 3, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., landed in Memphis on a flight from Atlanta. A march that he had led in Memphis six days earlier to support striking garbage workers had turned into a riot, and King was returning to prove that he could lead a violence-free protest. King’s reputation as a credible, non-violent leader of the civil rights movement was in jeopardy just as he was launching the Poor Peoples Campaign. He was calling for massive civil disobedience in the nation’s capital to pressure lawmakers to enact sweeping anti-poverty legislation. But King didn’t live long enough to lead the protest. He was fatally shot at 6:01 p.m. on April 4 in Memphis. Redemption is an intimate look at the last thirty-one hours and twenty-eight minutes of King’s life. King was exhausted from a brutal speaking schedule. He was being denounced in the press and by political leaders as an agent of violence. He was facing dissent even within the civil rights movement and among his own staff at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In Memphis, a federal court injunction was barring him from marching. As threats against King mounted, he feared an imminent, violent death. The risks were enormous, the pressure intense. On the stormy night of April 3, King gathered the strength to speak at a rally on behalf of sanitation workers. The “Mountaintop Speech,” an eloquent and passionate appeal for workers’ rights and economic justice, exhibited his oratorical mastery at its finest. Redemption draws on dozens of interviews by the author with people who were immersed in the Memphis events, features recently released documents from Atlanta archives, and includes compelling photos. The fresh material reveals untold facets of the story including a never-before-reported lapse by the Memphis Police Department to provide security for King. It unveils financial and logistical dilemmas, and recounts the emotional and marital pressures that were bedeviling King. Also revealed is what his assassin, James Earl Ray, was doing in Memphis during the same time and how a series of extraordinary breaks enabled Ray to construct a sniper’s nest and shoot King.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Race, African American, American History, Crime

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 27, 2018

Reviews

[robin friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

From The Mountaintop

Joseph Rosenbloom's book, "Redemption: Martin Luther King's Last Hours" (2018) is a history of the people and events in the last day of civil rights leader Martin Luther King's life leading to his assassination on April 4, 1968. This short study gives a detailed account of King's last day and a balanced, thoughtful account of his mission and character. The briskly-paced book builds in tension as it proceeds in focused, succinct chapters.

King is at the center of the book. At the time of his assassination, King was in Memphis, Tennessee preparing to lead a march in support of the city's striking sanitation workers. Rosenbloom's book explains how and why King had become involved in Memphis and the relationship of his activities in the city to the stalled Poor People's March planned for Washington, D.C. With his opposition to the Vietnam War, the broadening of his civil rights campaigns to the North, and the radicalization of his message, King had been rapidly losing public support. He hoped to recapture momentum by leading a successful, peaceful protest in Memphis. Rosenbloom describes King's activities during his fateful last day culminating in the famous "I have been to the Mountaintop" speech King delivered reluctantly on the last night of his life. King spoke extemporaneously and passionately with barely concealed forebodings of his own death. Rosenbloom offers a perceptive reading of the "Mountaintop" speech with an emphasis on its religious character.

During his last day in Memphis, King suffered from overwork, fatigue, and pessimism about his mission and about the future of the United States. While focusing on the last day of King's life, Rosenbloom also discusses the changes in King's thinking and in his activism following the enactment of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Rosenbloom also shows King's difficult personal life with a focus on his marital infidelities, including an encounter with a lover on April 3, following the "Mountaintop" speech. The book shows a great deal about the changes in King's thought and about the complexities of his character.

The other primary character in the history is King's assassin, James Earl Ray. Rosenbloom offers a compelling portrayal of this lifelong habitual criminal who had spent much of his adult life in jail. The book shows Ray's hardscrabble early life, his vitriolic racism, has earlier crimes and jail terms, and his long journey on the trail of King from Los Angeles to Memphis. Incredibly, King's whereabouts at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis had been well-publicized in the papers and the city police department had left King without security. He proved an all-too-tempting and easy target for Ray.

In addition to King and Ray, the book describes the sanitation strike and its background and the hard-nosed inflexible response of Memphis' mayor, Henry Loeb. The book shows King's unsuccessful attempt at outreach to a small organization of Black Power advocates. Rosenblum threads in a discussion of legal proceedings which led to a preliminary injunction against the proposed march which was lifted the morning of April 4, hours before King's assassination.In a brief epilogue, Rosenbloom describes the lives of the protagonists in the story following the events of April 4.

Fifty years after the event, King's assassination and the turbulence of the era continue to move and to haunt America. Rosenbloom's book will have special meaning to those who lived through and remember the United States of the late 1960s. The book prompted me to think about and remember Martin Luther King, Jr.

Robin Friedman

[Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book that covers the last hours of Dr. King's life. This book gives a good overview of King's role in the Memphis sanitation workers strike, the planning of the Poor People's Campaign, and King's coming to terms with his impending death.

[Conor O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Martin Luther King’s last 31 hours on Earth reads like you were actually in Memphis at the time. You follow a man while weary from travel and constantly challenged was able to divert from his plans in order to support a movement that he thought was morally correct: The Poor People’s Campaign and the garbage strike in Memphis. Many derided him from both sides but he kept his ground. A peaceful, non-violent man dying while trying to fight for justice, love and equality is what he would have wanted. MLK sought redemption by fighting for the underprivileged and the poor, no matter what color, gender or creed you identified with. That was his greatest legacy: not that of an airy, god-like figure but a man of justice and peace just trying to do the right thing in spite of the many challenges facing him. Learning he chose the path of a non-violent crusader with all the other affluent options he had as a preacher is inspiring and reminds us what’s truly important.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched and written, this was incredibly engaging and hard to put down. I've read many books about Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement. As the title suggests, this focuses on his last hours of life on earth. MLK was at his height during the years of the Civil Rights movement. He was indeed the "King" who made it possible to fight the unjust system imposed upon the black people in the United States. Accolades poured in, and he is best known for his "I Have A Dream" speech when he took the podium at the Washington DC march for jobs.

A riveting speaker, a commanding presence who magnetically drew people, and especially women, to him. He met with two presidents, JFK, and LBJ. John Kennedy was so taken by him that after his march on Washington and his I Have a Dream speech, he immediately welcomed King into the Oval office where he and his close team were given accolades for pulling together such a large crowd wherein not one act of crime was committed.

While Kennedy pushed for the Civil Rights Amendment, it was Lyndon Johnson who took the credit for pushing this through after JFK was killed.

One of his crowning moments was when he received the Nobel Peace Prize. While many worked for and with him to push for the dismantling of the Jim Crow South, it was Martin that was always center stage.

Sadly, at the end of his life, all around seemed to be crumbling. He tried to pull together another massive march on Washington, this time with the focus of the abolition of poverty and the disparaging wide berth between the rich and the very poor. Unable to garner the assistance and the momentum for this march, some thought it was simply Martin longing for glory while looking back into the past.

Previously known as the preacher and accomplisher of non violent means of winning his goals, in Memphis during a march for the sanitation workers who were striking for better pay and better conditions, violence erupted. Windows were smashed, looting occurred and it was necessary for police to quell the crowds of rowdies.

Organizations that previously had large coffers to support the cause of civil rights, now were drained and funds were not pouring in.

Disparaged by the looting, by the lack of support for another march, by those who previous supported him grew tired of his position upstaging others, Martin Luther King was in great sorrow the months, days and hours before his assignation.

Those who supported H. Rap Brown and others who thought violence was necessary to accomplish goals, now demanded money to be included in his second march for the sanitation workers. This time, the demand was for 1 million dollars in return for a guarantee of non looting and non violence.

Whereas previously, thousands upon thousands marched with King, now another day was coming when people grew tired of the slow pace of civil rights, and now they demanded freedom at all costs.

When a no account, low life James Earl Ray shot a bullet that killed King on the balcony of the Lorrane hotel in Memphis, TN, it was incredibly sad not only that he died, but that his dreams seemed to be in peril. The night before his death, in front of a large crowd of supporters he spoke as though he knew his hours were numbered.

Five Stars

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential read in understanding King and his final hours.

[Rebecca McPhedran · Rating 3 out of 5]

An in-depth look at the 31 hours leading up to the death of Martin Luther King Jr. This book goes into serious detail about his work after the Civil Rights Movement. After his "I Have a Dream" speech, MLK set his sights on fighting poverty in America, and speaking out against the Vietnam War.

He had fewer supporters in his Poor People's Campaign, and had gone to Memphis to help a group of striking garbage workers. He felt if he could get the garbage workers on his side, and maybe some members of the Black Panther party, his next march on Washington would be successful.

The author makes it seem like MLK was nearing the end of his time in the spotlight. His feelings about the Poor Peoples Campaign, and the Vietnam War were distancing him from some of his previous supporters. He was absolutely exhausted, and worn out.

As previously mentioned, this book goes into excruciating detail about the last 31 hours of his life. In the process, the reader learns more about his close circle of friends. I didn't know a lot about his inner circle, so it was nice to learn a bit about them. The most startling, and humbling thing about this book, is that the author portrays King as a man, not a myth or a god. MLK had his struggles. He hurt his loved ones with some of his choices. He was absolutely married to the idea of the Poor Peoples Campaign. He was strong in his belief, and would work hard to convince anyone to agree with him.

We as a society have almost sainted MLK, and it was nice to view him as a simple man. A man who had vices, who had issues, and never anticipated being a civil rights icon.

[Dewayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued to read this book based on the title and premise. MLK Jr. is an American history icon and his footprint on America is felt today. This book highlights the final days of his life before assassination on April 4, 1968, providing context into why he was in Memphis, the state of the city that demanded his presence, and influx state of his legacy as a leader. I learned a lot of new facts about this period including a deeper understanding why the civil rights movement of black people shifted from a southern agenda on equal rights to a national outcry to systematic poverty through the Poor Peoples Campaign. The tension of this topic can still be seen today as topics of poverty and equality are still debated in today's political environment.

My appreciation for MLK as a leader with a spiritual purpose driven burden only increased reading this book. For he understood the potential outcome of this burden and while he fret a horrible death it never stopped him from living his purpose out. What I appreciated most about this book is how it also captured MLK's humanity specifically his challenges in life he had to endure while living for such a big cause. Some of those challenges included adultery, rebuke, and insecurity in what to do next.

I would recommend this book for anyone obviously intrigued to learn more about MLK and gain a deeper understanding of what he was striving for when his time on earth was cut short. The book is written in brief chapters making it easy to breeze through topics. It also covers a variety of topics through key people who contributed to the state of things at the time.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly researched and well written. It gives an inside glimpse of a part of history that we don't get in school, and of a man that seemed larger than life. A must read.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big thanks to Goodreads for winning this book. I was really impressed with this book. It's amazing, really, just how many coincidences (if they can be called so) lined up to signify Dr. King's demise.

I thought this book was really well put together. The chapters all make sense in their separations and they're easy enough to digest in chunks. It was easy to read a chapter quickly while I had a break, and compelling enough to come back after a long break. Then there's the amount of information that gets packed into only 31 hours of life: impressive. Well researched and organized.

My only regrets are with the pictures. There are either not enough of them or I would have chosen others. More likely both but I lean towards the second. There are a couple of times when the author goes into fine detail describing a picture or a person and I'd love to have the picture on hand to compare. A perfect example is Mr. Rosenbloom's description of Dr. King when he was young and just starting out as a preacher. It would have been great to have that photo to contrast against the weary figure described in his last day of life.

Despite my complaints about the pictures (or lack thereof) this book was still amazing. I may need to do some more research in to the Poor People's Campaign, among other things. That's the beauty of a book like this: finding out what else you can choose to learn about. Rosenbloom definitely covered his 31 hours, but there's so much more.

[Tree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This snapshot of MLK's life in a very small timeframe showed what a great man he was and how he just wanted an acceptable life for everyone. One of his quotes still rings true today, "Capitalism has brought about a system that takes necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes." A really interesting part of the book is that he knew all along that he was going to die in his social justice causes and rather than take the safe way and go back to a private life, he just kept on going with his divisive causes anyway. Another MLK quote that resonated with me: "We have thousands and thousands of Negroes working on full-time jobs with part-time income." (Please forgive my political incorrectness in using the exact language of those times). In my line of work, there are many hard-working African-Americans who are holding down two or three jobs because the work they are doing pays so little. King was fighting for an end to poverty just before he died, and the problem is only worse today. Too bad he was snuffed out so early.

[Matthew Barmack · Rating 4 out of 5]

We know the author. After he invited us to dinner (coincidentally on MLK day), I figured I better read the book. As others have commented, while the ostensible topic is MLK's last day, that focus provides a narrative structure to address MLK's entire life and career, especially his last few years. I learned a lot. For example, while I was familiar with the growing tension between SCLC and black militants, this book puts a finer point on that tension. I was less aware of MLK getting sideways with LBJ and some of his own supporters on Vietnam and his pivot from a narrower focus on race to a broader focus on social/economic justice. I also did not fully appreciate MLK's skepticism of capitalism. Masterfully researched and crisply written. I recommend to anyone remotely interested in modern American history.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Per FTC guidelines, I received a free copy of this book as part of the Goodreads giveaway program.

A striking portrait of a horrific moment in history. Rosenbloom has distilled the final hours of King’s life into a book that is paced like a thriller. We all know the ending and, yet, I found myself turning page after page, hurtling toward the inevitable.

Well documented through stories and conversations with those involved, the citations in this book comprise nearly their own chapter. Highly readable and an important documentation of this dark moment in history.

[Carmen Agustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked how realistic it was. It told of how Martin Luther King Jr. was in downward slump after his Washington DC speech and was trying to drum up support for his poor peoples campaign. It also showed his doubts and the state of his mental health at that time. I knew of him being assassinated in Memphis but never knew the reason why he was there in the first place for the trash worker's strike in the city.

[Roger Smitter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book begins with a detailed preface that can bring most readers (whether they were alive on that terrible day when King was killed. Strongly, the first character we me meet is the assassin along with some information about what drove him to do the killing.

The author also provides significant background to tell us why King went to Memphis and the status of race relations in the city. King was under enormous pressure from all sides in Memphis

The author also notes in the opening pages why his book covers both King and his killer.
And, in the first pages, we get a sense of the life of the garage men.

There’s a series of chapters that show the steps in the story, starting with King’s arrival in Memphis. By that time, the reader has a good, but short, story of King’s life.

We get a quick view of the people who worked with King: Jackson, Williams, Abernathy, and Young. This is where the book begins to provide some insights about the group: “King came to value Young as a counterweight to the hotheads on the SCLC staff (p. 33)

It is engaging that the author spends two chapters on the Lorraine Motel in chapters 6 and 7, the place where King lived his last days. At this point in the book, the author has created a powerful narrative that mixes the killing and what was lost at the Larraine Hotel.

Of course the story line is about a killing of a human. It's in our history books. But the writing goes well beyond the usual story about murder.

[Mark Trigsted · Rating 4 out of 5]

The MLK50 conference held by the ERLC and The Gospel Coalition got me all "hot and bothered" This book was recommended after the conference in a tweet by Russel Moore - Within 2 minutes he deleted the tweet - So that immediately told me I needed to buy and read it - which I did between semesters at RTS. I wonder why Moore pulled the tweet...

In a detailed review of the last day of King's life - we clearly see what was great about him as a leader of the movement for positive social change, and what made is life as a Christian man and minister a complete train wreck! With multiple women (not his wife) and violently abusing one on the very night before his assassination King's moral failure combined with his denial of the fundamentals of the Christian faith and his liberation theology make any modern Christian veneration of him a complete travesty.

Four Stars for a well written and captivating story of Kings last hours in Memphis - 0 Stars for MLK's Christian life and witness

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Redemption: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Last 31 Hours by Joseph Rosenbloom (Beacon Press 2018) (323.092).

This is a moving and important look at the last day of Martin Luther King Jr.'s life. He spent the time with his closest companions in Memphis, Tennessee. This account practically defines how he spent his time minute-by-minute.

The virtual proximity that the author's hand creates offers the reader a rare glimpse of King the man rather than King the myth. Thanks are due to author Joseph Rosenbloom for keeping King's memory alive and vital. My rating: 7.25/10, finished 9/2/19. (3383)

[Jeffrey Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on a powerful 31 hours

I picked this book up on sale as I have always been interested in MLK Jr and the 60s in general. I had previously read two MLK books about his life and his time with the SCLC. This book focuses on the last 31 hours of MLK's life. It was very interesting to read, especially to get a good feel for what MLK was doing and thinking during this time. And also a slight glimpse of what he may have done had his life not been cut short. I recommend this book to any fan of MLK or the 1960s.

[Melanie Brungardt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. I appreciate receiving the book but the fact that it was given to me did not affect my review in any way.

This was a very informative book and I enjoyed getting to know a side of this story that I had not heard before. The book was well researched and highly factual. I would have liked to hear more of the story about Dr. King's upbringing but I do understand that this was not the focus of this book.

[M. I. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is concise, surprisingly comprehensive and well organized. The subtitle reference to "...last 31 hours," is misleading, because the author delves into so much background in covering the whys and wherefores of King's sojourn to Memphis; tying it all into the "last 31 hours" so well that the reader hardly knows they're taking in the back story. This is a compact little account and one that I'll keep rather than passing along to others, as has been my habit lately.

[Rick Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, detailed, timely (given the recent 50th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination) and informative look into the last day and half of Dr. King's life. Having read this book I feel like I've gained a better appreciation for what it took to lead the SCLC and civil rights movement. I also appreciated the honest portrayal, warts and all. A must read.

[Debbie Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, enlightening read that puts MLK's Civil Rights' movement in perspective through the last 31 ours of his life when he grappled with finding a way to reclaim some of his acclaim and move forward with the war on poverty. Only a journalist could whip up this level of excitement and information in an incredibly light read about an important junction in history.

[Amelia Allen-Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up as a child, shivers would run down my face when my father played the "I have a dream" speech on the record player. I was in awe. But when you don't know a person from a far, you cast a different perspective about the individual until you have had the opportunity to peer closer into the persona of a certain individual that will change your opinion altogether.

[RACHEL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosenbloom offers readers a overview of the King's involvement in the strike in Memphis, his work, struggles and moments with friends during his final days and moments.

My copy was a gift through Goodreads First Reads

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rosenbloom, who grew up in my adopted hometown, puts forth a riveting story of Dr. King's final hours. Dr. King was a complex man, to say the least. Rosenbloom displays his journalistic excellence as an unbiased storyteller.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great portrayal of Dr Kings last hours. I wept as Rosenbloom described the mountaintop speech. I did get a bit bogged down in some of the details though of all of the people surrounding Dr King in those last hours

[Kate Berlyoung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting detail about so much I didn't know. I studied MLK Jr the legend, the author brought out his human qualities. I learned about the garbage workers strike and the poor peoples march on Washington.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t give 5 stars often, but this hit me at the right time, and I learned a lot. I’m also preparing for a March visit of Atlanta, Birmingham, and Memphis, so I had additional interest. The author discussed his affairs and mentioned conspiracy theories, which I appreciated for a fuller picture.

[Kim Nyborg · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read books that tell you all about the life of MLKjr, read this one too that tells you about his awful assassination. Four days & the comings & goings of his life at that time. Insight & nuance that include that short time frame & the people around him.

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, a staff reporter for PBS Frontline for 10 years, explores the last days of Martin Luther King in Memphis, relying on interviews, memoirs, and FBI files.

[Paul Womack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opens up this sad history to a deeper understanding of the man and the issues he addressed as a human and civil rights leader.