1968

The Most Revolutionary Year of the

Twentieth Century Part 2

50 years later, we still are influenced by what happened during 1968. The tragedy of Dr. Martin Luther King’s
assassination made America reckon with its imperfections. It was a tragedy that strengthened those who
believe in the cause of justice. Also, the youth and others promoted social justice in universities and other
locations worldwide from New York City to Paris, France. The movement in Prague involved human beings
who resisted the anti-democratic agenda of Stalinism. Not to mention that the 1968 Presidential election was
changed forever with the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. Robert F. Kennedy grew ideologically to be
more progressive on issues of poverty and the fight to end the Vietnam War. This period of 1968 was a time
of both sorrows and heroes expressing the commitment to the ideal of social justice. Today, we are always in
favor of the Dream being realized for the human family.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s family in this picture walked in the funeral
procession in Atlanta, April 9, 1968. From the left: daughter Yolanda,
12; King's brother A.D. King; daughter Bernice, 5; widow Coretta Scott
King; Rev. Ralph Abernathy; sons Dexter, 7, and Martin Luther King III,
10.
CREDIT CHARLES TASNADI / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Contents

The Passing Away of a

Legendary Civil Rights
Leader
The Voice of Students
The Prague Spring
Activism in America and
Worldwide
Robert Kennedy’s 1968
Presidential Campaign
Appendix A: The Music
of Mid-1968
 Credit:
AP File
Photo

The Passing Away of a Legendary Civil Rights Leader

1968 was the time when Americans and human beings throughout the world
mourned
mourned the loss of a clergyman who proclaimed the principles of nonviolence,
opposition to the Vietnam War, economic justice, and human equality.

D uring this era of 1968,
massive changes existed in
America plus the world. The
unjust murder of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968
changed our country. Many
people were saddened at the
cruelty of such an act. People
mourned worldwide. His death in
Memphis, Tennessee represented
the end of the old school Civil
Rights Movement era and the
beginning of the post-civil rights
era. Immediately, over 100
American cities had rebellions
which lasted for several days.
Buildings were destroyed, people
mourned, and society had to
reckon with the point that racial
injustice has no place in the
planet. The rebellions were the
largest acts of urban revolt since
the Civil War. Many people were
angry. People have the right to be
angry at an innocent black man
being murdered by a coward with
a rifle. Human beings continued
to fight for justice. Floyd
McKissick, the head of CORE
back then said, "Dr. Martin
Luther King was the last prince of
nonviolence...Nonviolence is a
dead philosophy and it was not
the Black people that killed it."
SNCC Leader Kwame Ture was
at a press conference said, "When
white America killed Dr. King last
night, she declared war on us. We
have to retaliate for the death of
our leaders...The only way to
survive is to get some guns... We
are going to stand up on our feet
and die like men. If that's our only
act of manhood, then godd__mit,
we're going to die." 168 cities
burned. Chicago Mayor and
reactionary Richard Daley sent
police officers order to shoot to
kill arsonists. Jesse Jackson said
that it was a fascist response.
Then Mayor of Baltimore, Spiro
Agnew, falsely scapegoated Black
Power advocates and other civil
rights leaders for the situation
instead of racial injustice and the
assassination of Dr. King. 12
people died and more than 700
fires were in Washington, D.C.
alone. Washington, D.C. had
thousands of federal troops and
national guardsmen to defend the
Capitol and the White House.
Tanks were in the streets in broad
daylight. Roy Wilkins of the
NAACP would outline the typical
response of "Martin's memory is
being desecrated" in exposing
outrage at the rebellions, but Roy
Wilkins would support the
Vietnam War (and he criticized
Dr. King for his anti-war views.
Wilkins would only oppose the
Vietnam War after Richard
Nixon was elected President). The
reality is that rebellions are cries
from the unheard and we have to
understand the causes of a
rebellion in order for everyone to
activate a progressive solution. Dr.
King's funeral existed on April 9,
1968 in Atlanta, Georgia.
On that same day of April 4,
1968, the Apollo Program
allowed Apollo 6 to be launched.
This was the second and last
unmanned test flight of the Saturn
V launch vehicle. Robert F.
Kennedy gave his “The Evil
Menace of Violence” speech at
the Cleveland City Club on April
5, 1968. It was a very eloquent
speech. The speech outlined the
vicious nature of violence and how
constructive avenues are key
measures in establishing a society
where justice is made real for all,
regardless of someone’s race or
color. By April 6, 1968, the Black
Panthers and Oakland police had
a shootout. Many people were
arrested and died. One person
who died was 16 year old Black
Panther Bobby Hutton. This was
personal to the Panthers since
Bobby Hutton was one of the
original members of the Black
Panther Party for Self-Defense.
He carried guns as a means for
him to promote self-defense.
Witnesses say that Hutton was
unjustly murdered by the police.
The first memorial service
following the assassination of
Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4,
1968, took place the following
day at the R.S. Lewis Funeral
Home in Memphis, Tennessee.
This was followed by two funeral
services on April 9, 1968, in
Atlanta, Georgia. Many schools
closed. The first funeral in Atlanta
was held in Ebeneezer Baptist
Church on Auburn Avenue. The
first, private service began at
10:30 a.m. EST at Ebeneezer
Baptist Church, and was filled
with some 1,300 people; among
the dignitaries present were labor
leaders, foreign dignitaries,
entertainment and sports figures
and leaders from numerous
religious faiths. The service began
with Rev. Ralph Abernathy
delivering a sermon which called
the event "one of the darkest
hours of mankind." At his
widow's request, King eulogized
himself: His last sermon at
Ebenezer Baptist Church, a
recording of his famous 'Drum
Major' sermon, given on February
4, 1968, was played at the funeral.
In that sermon he makes a request
that at his funeral no mention of
his awards and honors be made,
but that it be said that he tried to
"feed the hungry," "clothe the
naked," "be right on the
[Vietnam] war question," and
"love and serve humanity." Per
King's request, his good friend
Mahalia Jackson sang his favorite
hymn, "Take My Hand, Precious
Lord", though not as part of the
morning funeral service but later
that day at a second open-air
service at Morehouse College.
Coretta Scott King is seen in
picture comforting her youngest
daughter (Bernice King), who was
5 at the time, in the Ebeneezer
church. Ironically, Bernice King
would be a powerful, eloquent
voice for freedom just like her
father.
The private funeral was followed
by the loading of King's casket
onto a simple wooden farm wagon
pulled by two mules. The
procession proceeded down the
three-and-a-half mile journey from
Ebenezer Baptist Church to
Morehouse College. The
procession was observed by over
100,000 people; the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference
commissioned a security detail to
manage the crowd, while the
This is the damage from the
1968 rebellion in the city of
Washington, D.C.
Atlanta Police Department limited
their participation to management
of automobile traffic and to
accompany dignitaries attending
the events (like Charles Percy,
Edmund Muskie, Hubert
Humphrey, Ralph Yarborough
from Texas, Harry Belafonte,
Dick Gregory, etc.). The
procession was silent, although it
was accompanied on occasion by
the singing of freedom songs
which were frequently sung during
the marches in which King had
participated. About 120 million

This image shows Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. (1929 - 1968) working in
the offices of the National
Cathedral at Washington D.C. on
March 31, 1968. (Photo by Morton
Broffman/Getty Images)
Americans watched the funeral
proceedings on TV.
Among the persons leading the
procession, besides the immediate
family of the civil rights leader,
were Jesse Jackson, who held the
flag of the United Nations, now
Congressman John Lewis, and
Andrew Young who would later
become the Mayor of Atlanta and
also Ambassador to the United
Nations.
The procession passed by the
Georgia state capitol building.
At the conclusion of the
ceremony, the group sang "We
Shall Overcome."
The public and final service was
held at Morehouse College, where
King was eulogized by college
President Benjamin Mays (on that
same day of April 9, 1968), who
had given the benediction after
King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
Benjamin Mays was 72 in 1968.
Mays' eulogy that would later be
known as the "No Man is Ahead
of His Time" speech. He noted
King's time in history to an
estimated 150,000 mourners by
stating in his most famous
passage:
"..If Jesus was called to preach the
Gospel to the poor, Martin Luther
was called to give dignity to the
common man. If a prophet is one
who interprets in clear and
intelligible language the will of
God, Martin Luther King Jr. fits
that designation. If a prophet is
one who does not seek popular
causes to espouse, but rather the
causes he thinks are right, Martin
Luther qualified on that score.
No! He was not ahead of his time.
No man is ahead of his time.
Every man is within his star, each
in his time. Each man must
respond to the call of God in his
lifetime and not in somebody
else’s time. Jesus had to respond to
the call of God in the first century
A.D., and not in the 20th century.
He had but one life to live. He
couldn’t wait..."
Following the funeral, King's
casket was loaded into a hearse for
his final trip to the South View
Cemetery, a burial place
predominantly reserved for
African Americans. His remains
were exhumed in 1977 and
reburied at their current location
at the plaza between the King
Center and Ebenezer, and his
widow Coretta was buried next to
him in 2006.
There was a double explosion in
downtown Richmond, Indiana
that killed 41 and injured 150
people on April 6, 1968.
President Lyndon Baines Johnson
signed the Civil Rights Act of
1968 on April 11, 1968. This
came after pressure from civil
rights leaders and other Americans
following the assassination of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. After
1966, this law was difficult to
pass since Republicans dominated
the Congress by 1966. This law
banned housing discrimination in
all of its forms. Vice President
Hubert Humphrey announced his
candidacy for President in the
Democratic side on April 27,
1968. He was one of the greatest
progressives on domestic issues of
the 20th century (he was right to
promote racial equality as far back
as the 1940’s), but his weakness
was that he was too tied to LBJ’s
agenda (he supported LBJ's
Vietnam War policies in public
while having questions about it in
private. Humphrey would split
with LBJ in public on Vietnam
completely late in the 1968
Presidential campaign by
September). New York Governor
Nelson Rockefeller ran for
President on the Republican side
on April 30, 1968.
 The Black Power Movement
The Black Power Movement is very diverse like many social movements are. It included
progressives, conservatives, and independent black people. What unified the movement was its
love of Blackness, the proclamation of the truth that Black is Beautiful, an advocacy of economic
empowerment, and a cultural awareness of the strength, resiliency, and power of African
Americans. Black Power ultimately is about black people utilizing self-determination in
establishing not only institutions, but total freedom among the black community.

The Black Panther Tarika

Matilaba wrote editorials,
drew cartoons, and
demanded respect while
she was Black Panther.
She wore an Afro during
the 1960’s too.

Malcolm X (1925-1965) was a hero of

Black Power is more than a political
the Black Power movement. He was
movement. It was a cultural movement too.
a revolutionary, because he fought
The black woman on the left is Saundra
Williams. She won Miss Black America imperialism, wanted Pan-African
Pageant in 1968. She has an Afro. Also, the unity in the world, he believed in
black woman on the right is the model Eve the rights of women, and he fought
Arnold in Harlem, NYC during 1968. The for the human rights of people of
Afro has been worn to this very day. black African descent.

Robert F. Williams and

his wife Mabel Williams
advocated self-defense,
self-determination, and
liberation.

Kwame Ture was one of the architects of the

modern Black Power movement in 1966 when
he called for it in Mississippi. He was once a
leader in SNCC and he once allied with the
Black Panther Party. Before he died in 1998, he The Black Panthers endorsed socialism, an end
promoted Pan-Africanism. to police brutality, and Black Power.
 The Voices of Students
Young people are always some of the greatest advocates of revolutionary change.
Students among many colors and backgrounds have united to oppose oligarchy,
racism, sexism, imperialism, and other injustices.

discrimination and the Vietnam War. It was a very

S tudent activism against war, imperialism, racism,
and economic exploitation grew by 1968. April 11,
1968 was the time when Germany's student radical
Rudi Dutschke was almost assassinated. Outrage
grew as demonstrations and rioting existed in New
York City, Berkeley, Toronto, Paris, Rome, Milan,
Belgrade, Prague, and other locations worldwide. The
student movement was part of a long revolutionary
ethos that flourished during the late 1960's.
Internationally, students cared about ending the war,
ending imperialism, and wanting racism to end. They
were against authoritarian, anti-democratic
institutions, intransigent systems, and heinous
political parties (that use technologies in inflict
mayhem plus death worldwide).
The situation in Columbia started on April 23, 2018
(in about 50 years ago lasting until April 30, 1968)
when students occupied Columbia University in New
York City. The students protested racial
historic time in America plus the world. This event
revolved around the student activist movement that
desired an end to the war in Vietnam, women's
rights, black studies in colleges, and the embrace of
social equality. These young human beings desired an
overall change in society whereby the status quo is
gone (and true justice is subsequently made real for
the human family). Hamilton Hall in Columbia was
occupied first. The reason was that many progressive
students wanted to protest against the institution’s
ties to a Vietnam War research firm, the Institute for
Defense Analyses (IDA). Also, the students (made up
of people among many backgrounds) wanted to fight
against Columbia University's construction of a new
gymnasium in Morningside Park, whose design plan
appeared to offer segregated access to black residents
of Harlem, which was adjacent to the building’s
lower side. This proposed gymnasium was heavily
opposed by Harlem residents and many student
activists. Five buildings were occupied and one dean
was held. Those involved in the occupation were the
SDS and Columbia' Students' Afro-American Society
(SAS). Columbia was a private Ivy-League school
whose leadership or administration was traditional
and autocratic (Grayson Kirk was one Columbia
leader who criticized the students as potentially
dangerous). One of the student protesters was Mark
Rudd. Rudd would later be part of the Weathermen
Underground later on. On April 22, Mark Rudd
wrote an open letter to Kirk:
It lasted for over one week. It involved hundreds of
students. The occupiers demanded the reinstatement
of six students suspended for protesting against the
IDA, an end to the construction of the gym, amnesty
for all students joining in the occupations, and the
reversal of an edict by university president Grayson
Kirk banning indoor protests. Later, the authorities
went too far in suppressing the student revolt. Kirk
called the police. He cut the power and water off
from the occupied areas. On April 30, at 2:20 in the
morning, some 1,000 police brutally attacked the
students. Cops used axes to cut the doors. They or
the NYPD assaulted not only students unjustly and
viciously. They assaulted journalists and
photographers for no reason. Many students were
beaten by plains clothes NYPD officers. Some cops
destroyed photographic equipment. Within three
hours, the occupation was crushed. About 720
students and faculty were arrested, and 136
demonstrators suffered injuries in the police attack.
Leaders of the Columbia protests were Black Power
activists and SDS members like Mark Rudd. The
protests achieved two of their stated goals.
Columbia disaffiliated from the IDA and scrapped
the plans for the controversial gym, building a
subterranean physical fitness center under the north
"...Grayson, I doubt if you will understand any of
this... you call for order and respect for authority; we
call for justice, freedom, and socialism. There is only
one thing left to say. It may sound nihilistic to you,
since it is the opening shot in a war of liberation. I'll
use the words of LeRoi Jones [later Amiri Baraka,
who was a great civil right activist and poet], whom
I'm sure you don't like a whole lot: "Up against the
wall, motherf____, this is a stick-up."
end of campus instead. More protesting Columbia
and Barnard students were arrested and/or injured by
New York City police during a second round of
protests on May 17–22, 1968, when community
residents occupied a Columbia University-owned
partially vacant apartment building at 618 West 114
Street to protest Columbia's expansion policies, and
later when students re-occupied Hamilton Hall to
protest Columbia's suspension of "The IDA Six."
Before the night of May 22, 1968 was over, police
had arrested another 177 students and beaten 51
students. Mark Rudd said the following words to
TIME on 2008 about the Columbia student protest
movement:
"What surprised me was the extent of the violence
the police employed and the administration
condoned."
The legacy of the Columbia protests was that student
activism could cause change. All of the freedom that
we have today was a result of activists, who in many
cases, shed blood in order for us to live on this Earth.
We have to always honor the sacrifices of heroes
(both men and women including the youth) who
desire social and economic justice. The struggle
continues and we shall overcome in the end.
 The Prague Spring
Socialists and other freedom lovers fought for democratic change in Prague.
Also, new social realities caused historic plays like Hair to develop in the late
1960’s.
T he musical Hair opened on Broadway officially
on April 29, 1968. It was a play that was ahead of its
time that dealt with racism, the counterculture,
religion, astrology, sex, sexuality, the Vietnam War,
the counterculture, and other issues. The musical
promoted the Age of Aquarius (which is a New age
teaching of massive change in the world after the
current Age of Pisces) and hippie living being against
the Vietnam War. The play resolves around
characters deciding about the draft and how to live in
a changing world.
The Prague Spring lasted from January 5, 1968 to
August 21, 1968. Today, we witness 50 years after
that incident. It was one of the most important
events of 1968. It revolved around the people of
Czechoslovakia seeking independence and true
freedom from the Stalinist Warsaw Pact. During that
time, there was the viciousness of capitalist
imperialism and the viciousness of Stalinism. After
World War II, the victorious superpowers of the
U.S. and the U.S.S.R. divided Europe in that the
Eastern Bloc was controlled by the Soviets while
Western Europe was controlled heavily by other
Western powers. The reformist Alexander Dubček
was elected as the First Secretary of the Communist
Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ) on January 5, 1968.
He replaced the hardliner Antonin Novotny. Dubček
declared the party's mission was "to build an
advanced socialist society on sound economic
foundations ... a socialism that corresponds to the
historical democratic traditions of Czechoslovakia, in
accordance with the experience of other communist
parties ..." During the Prague Spring, Dubček
established numerous reforms in giving more rights
to the people of Czechoslovakia. They included: the
partial decentralization of the economy,
democratization, ending restrictions on the media,
promoting more free speech, and ending travel
restrictions.
On March 4, 1968, Dubcek abolished censorship.
He split the nation into 2 republics being the Czech
Republic and the Slovak Republic. Other activists
used nonviolent resistance to promote democratic
freedoms too. Workplace democracy among workers
grew. Dubcek made the mistake of denouncing
workers’ strikes. The Soviets hated the reforms and
fought back. On the night of August 20-21, 1968,
Eastern Bloc armies from four Warsaw Pact
countries – the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Poland and
Hungary—invaded the ČSSR (or Czechoslovakia).
That night, 200,000 troops and 2,000 tanks entered
the country. They invaded Czechoslovakia in trying
to promote the status quo. The people resisted by
painting street signs to confuse the Stalinist invaders.
Many of them defied curfews. Some like Jan Palach
used self-immolation suicides (i.e. burning oneself to
death). After the invasion, the Soviets didn’t crush
the aspirations of the people completely. People
throughout the Warsaw Pact fought for their
freedom continuously. Gustáv Husák ended the
reforms of Dubeck. Also, it is important to note that
the criminal acts of Stalinism are not representative
of all socialists. There were revolutionary socialists
who opposed the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin.
Ultimately, the Prague Spring inspired the future
revolutions of the 1980’s that ultimately ended
Stalinism in Eastern Europe, East Germany, and the
Soviet Union itself.
 Activism in America and Worldwide
Social movements are found internationally not just in America. The status quo
wasn’t working and new activists rose up to make their voices heard.
T oday, it is 50 years after the major Poor People's
Campaign march in Washington, D.C. The people at
the location were black people, Latinx people, Native
Americans, white people, etc. The Poor People's
Campaign was the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. who wanted the poor to have economic justice
firmly. Many of these human beings on May 29,
1968 marched on the U.S. Supreme Court in
Washington, D.C., to protest a high court ruling that
affirmed limits on Native American fishing rights in
several rivers of Washington state. The civil rights
activist Ralph David Abernathy was the principal
leader of the Poor People’s Campaign following the
assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Another
leader of the movement was Reies Tijerina, a leader
of the Chicano movement in the state of New
Mexico. Many protesters were at the doors of the
U.S. Supreme Court building seeking justice. Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr., before he died, was becoming
more left wing and more revolutionary. He saw that
civil and voting rights are great, but you have to
address an economic system that harms people of all
colors if you desire true liberation. You have to have
a massive redistribution of economic and political
power in order to cause real change in our society.
Dr. King wanted the Poor People's Campaign to be
like the Bonus March back in the 1930's when WWI
veterans wanted higher wages (while setting up tents
in Washington D.C.). Douglas MacArthur used his
troops to end the Bonus March brutally. One of the
greatest mistakes of Douglas MacArthur was his
excessive response to the Bonus March.
Also, it is important to note that Sister Mary Wright
Edelman inspired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to go
forward with the Poor People's Campaign. Since Dr.
King was gone physically by April 4, 1968, Ralph
Abernathy took over the SCLC and the Poor Peoples
Campaign. Dr. King wanted the Poor People's
Campaign to give the poor a living wage, adequate
incomes, true land, allow to give the poor to
experience true political and economic power, and
the establishment of other policies. This was part of
the Economic Bill of Rights. The Poor People's
Campaign asked for the federal government to
prioritize helping the poor with a $30 billion anti-
poverty package that included, among other
demands, a commitment to full employment, a
guaranteed annual income measure, and more low-
income housing. Even during that time (with the
peak of the American post-World War II economic
boom in the midst of the lowest economic inequality
in American history, possibly in world history), the
capitalist powers that be refused to follow the
Economic Bill of Rights of the Poor People's
Campaign (when these proposals from Dr. King and
others were reasonable and legitimate). Dr. King once
said that if the government can spend billions of
dollars to send a man on the moon then it can spend
billions of dollars to help the poor right here on
Earth. He's right. Today, we have a new Poor
People's Campaign desiring economic justice as well.
Rev. Barber is one leader of this 2018 movement
using rallies, civil disobedience, and other programs
These are images of Paris during the Paris student revolt of 1968.
More than 50 years ago, there was the uprising in
Paris, which was about students going onward to
fight for their causes. Student protests erupted in
Paris back in May 2, 1968. Students protested the
closure of the arts college at Paris University at
Nanterre, a newly-erected suburban campus that had
been shut down in response to ongoing student
protests. During the next day, the protests spread to
the prestigious Sorbonne. The students wanted
disciplinary action against Nanterre student Daniel
Cohn-Bendit to be dropped. The police broke up
both demonstrations.
On the night of May 3, in the words of one press
account, “riot policemen using clubs and tear gas
fought pitched battles with Sorbonne students”
protesting the Nanterre closing. The arrested
students totaled 573. In response, authorities ordered
the indefinite closure of the Sorbonne, for the first
time since its founding in 1253. On May 5, 1968,
professors organized a strike in protest of the
situation. They opposed the heavy handed actions of
to fight for the poor. It has been a sick past-time for
not only some of the rich, but some of the
bourgeoisie middle class (many of whom are one or
two paychecks away from poverty themselves) to
mock and degrade the poor viciously, which is evil.
Those days are over. The poor deserves respect and
honor just like anyone else.
the police against the students. From May 6-7, 1968,
something else happened. Union Nationale des
Étudiants de France (UNEF) organized
demonstrations. Then, the police and the students
engaged in street fighting. The police used tear gas
and batons to disperse the students.
Later, the students used barricades and gasoline
bombs. Some overturned cars. In the Latin Quarter,
street fighting continued between the police and
students. More than 10,000 demonstrators blocked
Boulevard St. Germain with overturned buses, and
“wave after wave of police counterattacks were
repelled,” according to the New York Times report
on the event. “Police vehicles racing reinforcements
to the scene were bombarded from roofs with stones
and firebombs. The windows of countless paddy-
wagons and police buses were smashed in, and scores
of overturned and burning cars littered Boulevard St.
Germain and Rue de Rennes.” After the revolt, there
was the reactionary backlash led by Charles de Gaulle
and others in France.
Le précepte de la liberté est l'idéal de l'humanité et nous gagnerons à
la fin.

Robert Kennedy's 1968 Presidential Campaign

The 1968 campaign of Robert Kennedy gained a huge following among many
Americans and made people realize that the issues of poverty, war, class, and
racism must be recognized plus dealt with in a compassionate, forthright
fashion.
while his foreign policy views were similar to LBJ's
T he Presidential campaign of 1968 continued. views. Pro-war Democrats, party bosses, and most
labor leaders supported Humphrey. Kennedy and
The Democratic race was wide open after Lyndon McCarthy battled for the anti-war vote while
Baines Johnson withdrew from the race. Black Humphrey quietly gathered delegates. Robert
Panther leader Eldridge Cleaver also ran against the Kennedy was more energetic than McCarthy during
Vietnam War in the Peace and Freedom party ticket. the race. RFK said that, "I run to seek new policies,
Vice President Hubert Humphrey officially policies to end the bloodshed in Vietnam and in our
announced his candidacy on April 27, 1968. He cities, policies to close the gap that now exists
famous said that, "Here we are, the way politics between black and white, between rich and poor,
ought to be in America, the politics of happiness, the between young and old in this country and around
politics of purpose, and the politics of joy." Once, the rest of the world." McCarthy had progressive
liberals heavily honored Humphrey for his advocacy economic views, but he was seen by many as aloof.
of civil rights back in the 1940's, but his allegiance to He wanted to limit the power of the Presidency.
LBJ caused him to experience many protests. Even
LBJ criticized him by saying, "just too old-fashioned, There is nothing wrong with the politics of purpose,
he looks like, he talks like he belongs to the past." but we can't embrace a naiveté that ignores the
Humphrey had a huge burden throughout his unhappiness found in the lives of the suffering and
campaign and his domestic views were progressive the poor. The United States and North Vietnam
start to agree on peace talks in Paris by May 3, 1968.
May 7, 1968 was when Robert Kennedy won the
Indiana primary. Indiana had inner city black
Americans, white ethnic factory workers,
suburbanites, and rural farmers. RFK used the train
to travel into many parts of the states to appeal to
black people and white people. On May 14, 1968,
the Beatles announced the creation of Apple Records
in a New York press conference. Many
thunderstorms created tornadoes that made huge
damage plus casualties in Charles City, Iowa,
Oelwein, Iowa, and Jonesboro, Arkansas. Robert
Kennedy won the Nebraska primary on May 14,
1968 too. It was Kennedy’s first majority victory. He
beat both McCarthy and LBJ. Nixon won the
Republican primary in Nebraska over Ronald
Reagan and Nelson Rockefeller. Back then,
Rockefeller was a liberal Republican, Reagan was in
the conservative wing, and Nixon was in the middle.
On May 17, 1968, the Catonsville Nine enter the
Selective Service offices in Catonsville, Maryland,
take dozens of selective service draft records, and
burned them with napalm as a protest against the
Vietnam War. The U.S. nuclear-powered submarine
Scorpion sinks with 99 men aboard, 400 miles
southwest of the Azores. This happened on May 22,
1968. McCarthy won the Oregon primary on May
28, 1968 because Oregon was much more
conservative back then (and RFK’s pro-gun control
stance turned many Oregon voters off). Nixon easily
won the Oregon primary. Robert Kennedy
campaigned in California during this time. McCarthy
stumped California’s many colleges and universities,
where he was treated as a hero for being the first
presidential candidate to oppose the war. Robert
Kennedy campaigned in the ghettos and barrios of
California’s larger cities, where he was mobbed by
enthusiastic supporters. Charles Evers and John
Lewis campaigned for Robert Kennedy in black
communities. Cesar Chavez campaigned for RFK
also in barrios. Kennedy and McCarthy engaged in a
television debate a few days before the primary; it
was generally considered a draw.
On June 4, 1968, Robert Kennedy narrowly defeated
McCarthy in California, 46%–42%. However,
McCarthy refused to withdraw from the race and
made it clear that he would contest Kennedy in the
upcoming New York primary, where McCarthy had
much support from anti-war activists in New York
City. Robert Kennedy ultimately gathered support
among African Americans, white progressives, Latino
Americans, Native Americans, women, and others to
win the California primary. On June 5, 1968, U.S.
presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was shot at
the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California by
Sirhan Sirhan. Kennedy died from his injuries the
next day on June 6, 1968. With the assassination of
Robert Francis Kennedy, another tragedy existed
where human beings (especially the youth) were
sadden plus confused on where to go next in the
movement for social justice. Many of the New Left
and the black freedom struggle questioned whether
revolutionary change would be possible after another
innocent man was murdered. Robert Kennedy was
one of four American men (who also include JFK,
Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) who
were assassinated by a murderer in the midst of
ideological evolution in being more progressive on
issues. Yet, RFK’s unfortunate, unjust death never
ended the Dream. The Dream continues.
 Appendix A: The Music of mid-1968
After Dr. King’s assassination,
James Brown was on national
television on April 5, 1968. He
helped to defuse a rebellion in
Boston. He calmed the feelings of
anger among black people in the
concert over the unjust murder of
Dr. King. On April 7, 1968,
Singer/pianist/songwriter Nina
Simone's performance at
Westbury Music Fair is dedicated
to the late Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. The song "Why? (The
king of love is dead)" by Gene
Taylor is performed for the first
time. The show was partially
released on the Emmy nominated
album Nuff Said (1968). On May 4,
Mary Hopkin performs on the
British TV show Opportunity
Knocks. Hopkin catches the
attention of model Twiggy, who
recommends her to Paul
McCartney. McCartney would
soon sign Hopkin to Apple
Records. Aretha Franklin records
her live LP Aretha in Paris at the
Olympia Theater on May 7, 1968.
At a press conference, John
Lennon and Paul McCartney
introduce the Beatles' new
business concept, Apple Corps,
Ltd., an entertainment company
that included a recording studio, a
record label, and clothing store
(on May 14, 1968). On May 30,
1968, The Beatles begin recording
The White Album (officially
titled, simply, The Beatles).
Sessions would span over 4
months, ending on October. On
June 20, 1968 was when David
Ruffin was fired from the
Temptations. The reason was that
Otis Williams accused Ruffin of
having a large ego and Ruffin
wanted to inquire into the
Temptation’s financial records.
Ruffin demanded an accounting of
the group’s money. On June 20,
1968, Martha Reeves & the
Vandellas make their debut at the
Copacabana in New York City,
winning a rave review in the New
York Times. The engagement was
recorded but remains in the
Motown vaults. By August 1, 1968,
Jeff Beck Group released their
album Truth. A seminal work of
heavy metal, it incorporates blues
and hard rock. It introduced the
talents of Rod Stewart and
Ronnie Wood. On August 1968,
James Brown released one of his
greatest records and an anthem of
the Black Power movement. It is
called “Say It Loud- I’m Black and
I’m Proud.” It was released as a
two-part single which held the
number-one spot on the R& B
singles chart for six weeks, and
peaked at number ten on the
Billboard Hot 100. Both parts of
the single were later included on
James Brown's 1968 album A
Soulful Christmas and on his 1969
album sharing the title of the song.
"Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm
Proud" was Brown's first recording
to feature trombonist Fred
Wesley. In the song, Brown
addressed the prejudice towards
blacks in America, and the need
for black empowerment. He
proclaims that "we demands a
chance to do things for
ourself/we're tired of beating our
head against the wall/and workin'
for someone else." The song's call-
and-response chorus is performed
by a group of young children, who
respond to Brown's command of
"Say it loud" with "I'm black and
I'm proud!" The song was recorded
in a Los Angeles area suburb with
about 30 young people from the
Watts and Compton areas. This
record from James Brown
certainly inspired confidence
among black people worldwide
and promoted the truth that
BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL.
By Timothy

The following next pages will show

information about the funeral of Sister
Aretha Franklin.
Credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images
The funeral of Aretha Franklin was one of the most
memorable funerals in human history. Songs,
speeches, and the expression of love for her legacy were
abundant during that day. It had a diversity of
speakers, celebrations, music, grief, and then some. It
allowed people to say a tribute to a legendary woman
who broke down social barriers and had an incredible
musical voice. She was curious about life and Aretha
Franklin was a human rights activist too. The funeral
lasted for over 8 hours. It was on 8 a.m. when Aretha
Franklin’s body arrived at the Detroit church.
Franklin’s white hearse arrived. Many people lined up
for hours outside the Greater Grace Temple. Two
dozen owners of pink Cadillacs were at the church to
honor Franklin’s 80’s song “Freeway of Love.”
In the church, floral arrangements came from many
people like Sam Moore, Mariah Carey, Barbara Redding,
and the family of Otis Redding. A large number of
people were there in the church. The dignitaries
included Jennifer Holiday, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rep.
Maxine Waters, T.D. Jakes, Faith Hill, Louis Farrakhan,
Whoopi Goldberg, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Omarosa
Manigault-Newman, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, and
other human beings. Jenifer Lewis (who is a great
actress) was there as well. The funeral was fully
underway by 11 am. The church choir sang Franklin’s
“Say a Little Prayer” and her version of “Bridge Over
Troubled Water.” Mourners arrived. London’s
Buckingham Palace celebrated Franklin’s life too. As
Aretha Franklin’s body was covered in fabric, many
people shouted “Hallelujah!” Rev. Jesse Jackson
comforted actress Cicely Tyson and Franklin’s family
members comforted each other.
Bishop Charles H. Ellis of Greater Grace Temple in
Detroit spoke. Ellis talked about encouragement. By 12:15
pm, singer Faith Hill honored Aretha Franklin by
singing the well-known gospel song of “What a Friend
We have in Jesus.” Bill Clinton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and
the Rev. Al Sharpton stood up to celebrate the music. By
12:40 pm, Ariana Grande sang the song “A Natural
Woman.” Ellis made the terrible action by saying
offensive words about Ariana Grande. Al Sharpton
spoke and told the truth that Aretha Franklin never
worked for him (i.e. Trump), but she only performed for
him. Sharpton said that Franklin worked for us, which is
true. Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W.
Bush sent messages to honor the Queen of Soul and they
weren't present at the church funeral.
Credit: AFP
Aretha Franklin’s family members also expressed tributes
to her as well. Victorie Franklin, her granddaughter, said
at the Queen of Soul's funeral that she will always
cherish being part of Franklin's legacy, recognizing parts
of her grandmother in her. "Nothing sounded better to
me than my grandmother's voice," said Victorie. "Her
voice brought peace." Grandson Jordan directed his
remarks directly to Aretha, frequently stopping to fight
back tears. "I'm sad today, because I'm losing my friend,
but I know the imprint she left on this world can never
be removed. You showed the world God's love, and
there's nothing more honorable." Aretha's son, Edward,
sang "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" by Marvin Gaye.
By the time Cristal Robin-Aretha Franklin was born, her
aunt was already the Queen of Soul. But to Cristal, as she
said in her remarks, Aretha was “just my aunt, my
father’s sister. And I was her namesake.”
“My aunt Robin never let Aretha
forget that her name came first, but
Aretha would laugh and say they
saved the best for last,” Cristal
recalled.
Former attorney general Eric H.
Holder Jr. spoke of her activism and
how she was a part of his life
including his family’s life.
Bill Clinton gave her memorial of
Aretha Franklin by telling stories
and showing humor about the times
that he had encountered Aretha
Franklin. Gospel veteran Shirley
Caesar was joined by rising gospel
star Tasha Cobbs Leonard as she
performed “How I Got Over,” a
lively hymn Franklin featured on her
1972 album “Amazing Grace.” Later,
Greg Mathis said that Aretha
Franklin told him to fight to give
Flint, Michigan residents clean
drinking water. Rep. Brenda
Lawrence (D-Mich.) talked about
how Aretha Franklin encouraged
her.
Lawrence is working with many
lawmakers including Senator Kamala
D. Harris of California to introduce
legislation to award Aretha Franklin
posthumously with a Congressional
Gold Medal, one of the highest civilian
honors. “I am so proud to have known
and to have shared my life with the
amazing queen,” Lawrence said. “The
Queen deserves this gold medal and
I’m honored to give it to her.” Rev.
William J. Barber II praised Aretha
Franklin too. He is the pastor of
Greenleaf Christian Church in
Goldsboro, North Carolina. Tyler
Perry spoke. Chaka Khan at 3:23 pm.
performed a great rendition of the
gospel song “Goin’ Up Younder” and
Ron Isley followed with “His Eye is
On the Sparrow.” Rev. Jesse Jackson at
3:55 pm. honored Aretha Franklin
about showing the truth that Aretha is
not lost, but she is in Heaven. He also
wanted people to register to vote as
not being registered “dishonors
Aretha.” Clive Davis spoke about
Aretha Franklin as a woman who had
a thirst for knowledge and wanted to
be perfect in musical expression.
Cicely Tyson, who is 93 years old, read
a version of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s
“When Malindy Sings.” She wore a
graceful church hat. After 4 pm.,
Bishop Paul Morton and Yolanda
Adams led a lively performance of
“Mary Don’t You Weep,” a spiritual
Franklin recorded a live version of for
her 1972 album “Amazing Grace.”
Georgetown University professor
Michael Eric Dyson said that Aretha
Franklin was “black without apology
or excuse,” referencing her work with
the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the
Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al
Sharpton. Dyson said that she helped
transform the existence of black
America. Then, Michael Eric Dyson
condemned President Trump for
disrespecting Franklin by claiming
that she once worked “for” him. “You
lugubrious leech, you doppelganger of
deceit and deviance, you lethal liar,
you dimwitted dictator, you foolish
fascist,” Dyson said. “She ain’t work for
you. She worked above you. She
worked beyond you. Get your
preposition right!” Afterwards,
Jennifer Hudson sang “Amazing
Grace.”
By 5:15 pm, former NBA player
Isaiah Thomas euglozied Aretha
Franklin as a close friend and how
her music helped his mother. He
said that, “She found a way to
inspire all of us with hope, love and
dreams through her music. Her
voice found a way to help this
nation soothe and deal with its
troubled past." Stevie Wonder
performed with harmonica skills
and with his voice. Wonder said at
the end of his song. "The joy is in
knowing that she will have an
eternal life of bliss."
Amen
Rest in Power Sister Aretha
Franklin.
Gladys Knight sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone”
and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Jennifer
Holliday sang “Climbing Higher Mountains.”
Also, Fantasia Barrino sang music too including
Jennifer Hudson plus Chaka Khan. The Clark
Sisters sang music. At 6:45 pm, Jennifer Holliday
and the Aretha Franklin Celebration Choir
performed a processional as attendees exited the
Greater Grace Temple. The funeral of Aretha
Franklin ended on that note. Aretha Franklin
showed heroism long before the 1970's and she
truly was a legendary black woman.