was in memphis to support me workers and he, too, was at the lorraine motel. knew that dr. s ng was staying here when you ont of guys did check in here? >> none of us did. >> reporter: none of you knew rat at all. di none of us knew. >> reporter: but their choir ormactor knew and planned an impromptu performance for king. ♪ hallelujah >> i think the thing that put a gleam in our eyes was to know that we were going to sing now for dr. king, our idol. >> i was trying to find my pitch. >> reporter: so did you find your pitch? >> i found my pitch. ( laughter ) ♪ hallelujah ng reporter: it was one of the last performances king would ever hear. ul was just overwhelmed with it. i could see it in his face. nu reporter: it lasted just one asurte and 48 seconds, but the impact was beyond measure. shapplause ) t o weeks later, king was shot and killed at the lorraine motel. >> we knew it was important to sing for him, but we did not realize the importance of what this man was really doing here in memphis. ♪ hallelujah >> i would like people to know that the prairie view

to the commemoration and celebration as you can hear around me taking place in memphis at the lorraine motel now part of the national civil rights museum. bells just tolled here and around the country at the time the reverend dr. martin luther king jr. was assassinated on the motel balcony on this day in 1968 as people from far and wide including many who were with king to the end gathered to celebrate his life and journey as a champion of justice. >> martin luther king jr. was killed tonight in memphis, tennessee. >> a single gunshot silenced the voice and soul of a movement. and for andrew young, also the voice of a friend and partner. >> i'd known him for over ten years and our wives grew up together in the same little country town. >> we'll have a nonviolent demonstration in memphis. >> king was in memphis to support striking sanitation workers, but on this evening 50 years ago, the mood inside the lorraine motel was more playful than serious. >> they were having a good time. and they were telling old tales and it was like a college fraternity party with no alcohol. >> reporter: but then

they checked into the black owned lorraine motel. >> what do you remember about your trip here to memphis, me and another choir member were walking down the street and we noticed the garbage cans were stacked two, three, or four hiechl we kept thinking, boy, memphis sure is a filthy city. at the time we didn't realize the garbage strike was taking place. >> reporter: they were on strike for a month. fed up with things they struck. dr. martin luther king was in town to support the strike. he and his staff also stayed at the lorraine. how many of you knew by a show of hands that dr. king was staying here? >> none of us. >> none of you knew it at all. >> none of us did. >> but their choir director did. dr. edison anderson implored dr. kij's staff to allow him choir to sing for them. the opportunity came around midnight after king came back from giving an evening speech. >> the first call came out to me from dr. anderson, get everybody up, dr. king is back. let's get ready to sing. >> he said, come on. don't get dressed. just come on. >> what were your thoughts as he walked into the room? >>

especially being held at the lorraine motel. i was 19 when he was assassinated and it hurt my heart. and it still hurts. i do not think that we have moved like we should have in all these years. we do not have leaders like him. need to get together and stand for that cause of loving one another and getting along. happen if we keep putting officials in office that are turning us against one another. it just won't happen. i appreciate seeing the program today. you. thank it is available online at any time on c-span.org. we welcome those listening on c-span radio. we are commemorating dr. king's assassination at the lorraine motel in memphis. bruce, you are next. what are your thoughts as he watched today's celebrations? say that just want to this message is for everybody. i am a middle-aged white guy and i was incredibly moved. 10 years ago i had the opportunity of being in montgomery, alabama for the 40th anniversary and it really opened my eyes to the movement and to dr. king's message of peaceful protests. host: how did it chan

they checked into the black owned lorraine motel. >> what do you remember about your trip to memphis? woke up at the lorraine. me and a choir member walking down the street. we noticed garbage cans were stacked, two, three, four high. kept thinking boy, mem fims sure is a filthy city. at that time we didn't real i the garbage strike was, was taking place. san station workers were on strike. fed up. they adopt aid simple mantra. i am a man. dr. martin luther king jr. was in town to the support the strike. he and staff also stayed at the lorraine. >> how many of you knew dr. king was staying here. >> none of us. >> none of you knew that. >> none of us knew. >> their choir director did. dr. andersen implored dr. king's staff to allow the choir to sing for them. the opportunity came around midnight after king came back from giving an evening speech. >> the first call came out to me. from dr. andersen. give everybody up. dr. king is back. let's get ready to sing. >> he said come on. don't get dressed. come on. >> what were your thoughts? >> in awe of bieng the room with dr. king. i think t

50 years ago tomorrow, martin luther king stepped out on to the balcony of the lorraine motel in memphis, tennessee and was shot

i'm christiane amanpour in london. 50 years ago on the balcony of the lorraine motel in memphis, a man had dedicated an entire life to non-violent protest was

thousands of people have gathered that the lorraine motel for the official ceremony commemorating the fiftieth anniversary obvious us a nation of civil rights leader martin luther king jr events are being held right across the u.s. to honor the memory of the civil rights campaigner who was shot dead while on a balcony at the hotel in memphis tennessee the site is now a civil rights museum a former u.s. president barack obama has been one of many speeches paying tribute. because of him because of his glorious words and deeds because of his hopeful vision and his moral imagination we found the courage to come as far as we have because of him and his fellow marchers barricades began to fall and bigotry began to fade laws changed but so did hearts and minds new doors of opportunity swung open for each new generation just look around we can see with our own eyes that america is fairer and freer and more just than it was in dr king's time people of all colors and creeds live together and work together and fight alongside one another and love one another its progress that expresses itself in

king was gunned down on the balcony of the lorraine motel.e were you when you heard that news and what was your response, both that he and come to be with you and that he had been assassinated? >> i believe i was at home when i heard it on the news. cut off our phones, light and every thing that night. goodell callout. could not do nothing. lucy, your response, where you were when you heard the news and the response of you and your union after martin luther king was killed? staffers, weellow were at the minimum salary building of the ame church located right next to cleveland temple, which essentially was our mobilization office. we heard the news. we were maybe less than 10 minutes away from the lorraine motel. we immediately headed toward the lorraine motel and we were stopped just short of that woman heard the news. clearly, the assassination had incredible impact, not just across the city of memphis, but across the nation as a whole. h.b. crockett, what it meant to you that dr. king came to memphis and to support your "i am a man" strike,

on april 4, 1968, at the lorraine motel in memphis, tennessee, dr.ing, guess it was around 6:30 in the afternoon, weary body, tired, came out and they were headed out to a meeting and, rang out, standing on the landing there at the lorraine motel, with 3 or 4 folks, jesse jackson on one side, and shots rang out and hit dr. king. he fell and was pronounced dead at the hospital and was moved to a mortuary about six blocks from the motel. that shot changed america. it changed america in a way that enlivened our senses to what it means to treat persons as persons. that all of us are persons. and all of us have human dignity, inately, in and of ourselves. the day after dr. king died, nearly 7,000 people were standing outside at civic center plaza here right outside these front doors mourning the death of dr. king, understanding the significance of his life and the impact of his death. three days later, 10,000 people were up on knob hill at grace cathedral, again mourning dr. king's death and celebrating his life and what he did. he was not very popular at

the ceremony took place in front of the lorraine motel where he was killed.

to honor the memory of the civil rights campaigner thousands of people have gathered at the lorraine motel which is now a civil rights museum for the official ceremony commemorating the anniversary and from there roslyn jordan joins us live in memphis tennessee a long list of speakers due to speak on the balcony behind you on the stage behind you ross including the reverend jesse jackson who i read this described the knights of king's death as the most trying. sake of his life. that's right it's not something that jesse jackson has discussed much in the fifty years since martin luther king jr his fellow activist and his mentor was assassinated on the balcony behind me that you see there draped in black bunting but people are trying to focus not just on what they say was a traumatic loss for them personally or for the country as a whole but they're also trying to focus on the work that martin luther king did during his very short life you only lived thirty nine years to talk with me more about king's legacy and what is the challenge facing not just americans but others in the days ahead i'm

jessee jackson who was at the lorraine motel. one of those iconic photographs with his hand up in the air after the assassination of dr. king it 6:01 central time in memphis, tennessee. mary m wright ellman who is the defenseof the children fund. also from the black lives matter and women's march, their participation in this conversation live on c-span3. thank you for turning on -- joining us on this anniversary of dr. king's assassination. more coverage coming up on c-span television. everyone.ternoon, i just want to remind us all the reason why we are here. the only person this is about is dr. king. us to keep that in mind as we move forward. to standeautiful site here. it is incredibly humbling for me to stand here at this moment at this day. [applause] he was a man, a husband, a father, a son, a brother. .e was a preacher and a scholar he was a visionary, a strategist a leader, a servant. he was a radical thinker, a believer in the concept of peaceful, direct action and civil disobedience as an effective means to affect chang

i checked into the lorraine motel. i got a lot of very funny looks when i said i was going to stay a week because a lot of people were staying by the hour. [laughter] mr. branch: one of the miracles of memphis, and i don't know how it happened, but it must have been a civic miracle not a lot of you were involved in to take the lorraine motel from where i saw it in 1983 to that incredible institution worldwide. [applause] mr. branch: so, thank you for that. they let me stay in room 308, the room next to dr. king. he didn't have a key. they said they didn't have a key to any of the rooms. you had to go to the office and they would let you in. while i was here, i was doing research. maybe some people were here from the mississippi valley collection. an assortment of your ancestors and to some of you from that an almost biblical event happened here when dr. king was killed. let's gather information, oral histories so other people can figure it out because it goes very deep. in what is here in memphis pier 1 of the many col

we were maybe less than 10 minutes away from the lorraine motel.mmediately headed toward the lorraine motel and we were stopped just short of that woman heard the news. clearly, the assassination had incredible impact, not just across the city of memphis, but across the nation as a whole. h.b. crockett, what it meant to you that dr. king came to memphis and to support your "i am a man" strike, and the significance of those words that you carried on the picket signs? >> yeah, we carried the gngns. i got one in my rdrd now. saying "i am a man." the other night we went to a meining. i got one then andnd p it in m yard it was a great thing wilwewe me t to memphis. i thought it might be bibig ange, and there were som change no real big changes,utut som chge. in theork positions. >>ould i make a pnt? soany supptersf the stkers reay reflecd on the fact tt there really histy in thefrican-amecan communy abouworkers, particarly worrs of th type -- ministers who had suororted e strike had ofte used the phrase to describe the trtmtment thehe men, and i think m

the next day he was shot and killed while standing on his balcony at the lorraine motel, now part of the national civil rights museum. nbc's lester holt sat down with one woman who was at the lorraine that fateful day, and had been silent until now. >> right above middle of that parking lot, dr. king comes out his room. and he starts chatting to everybody down below. happy as a lark, laughing about stuff. >> just kind of an informal interaction with the crowd? >> yes, yes. >> reporter: clara ester was a college junior at the time. she and friends had come to the lorraine motel for a catfish dinner, aware that king was staying there. >> i'm standing there looking up at this great giant in my life, and what sounded like a truck backfiring. but i never took my eyes off of him. i heard somebody said get down, get down. but i saw him being lifted up and thrown back. lester, i can't tell you how my little feet got up to that balcony, but i remember stepping over his body to where the wound was. i checked for a pulse, which was just literally no beat at all. >> reporter: clara's presence is

. >> she was there at the lorraine motel, now 50 years later she's telling her story on network tv for the first time. >>> this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. >>> good evening and welcome to our viewers in the west. that's where we begin tonight. there are multiple casualties at the san francisco area headquarters of youtube after a woman opened fire there this afternoon. the call went out as a possible active shooter at the social media campus and officers were met with employees running from the building. at least four were hurt and the suspect is dead. jolene kent has details. >> reporter: today terror inside youtube headquarters. shots fired just before 1:00 p.m. >> we have reports of a subject with a gun. seven or eight shots being fired. >> reporter: police storming youtube alongside fire and s.w.a.t. teams. employees escaped with their hands up. law enforcement says the shooter was female, and multiple sources tell nbc news she died at the scene. >> we have four victims who have all been transported for gunshot-related injuries. and we have one subject who is deceased ins

at the lorraine motel thousands gathered to honor his work and their own activism it was that downs feelings of being a second class citizen that i addicts various during my life mad life time and asked santa now this is a nuff speaker after speaker walked on stage to talk about what king meant to them and what challenges they see facing society today apathy hunger was racism war dream in the mall ameena we should be talking about love and justice and helping the poor and treating the strangest right so we have to reshift the narrative we have to care for the poor people's campaign a national poll for more revival earlier on wednesday a march through the streets of memphis to mason temple the place where king delivered his mountaintop speech the night before his death the mood of both of them it's largely celebre train because of the political and economic advances achieved since one nine hundred sixty eight but sadness hovered at the edges all day and lost over the gathering at six zero one pm local time the moment then james earl ray fired a rifle and king standing on the balcony outside h

many of them standing outside the lorraine motel the place war king was shot and killed. now part of the national civil rights museum and nbc's jay gray was there. >> reporter: bells toll in memphis. at the exact time 50 years earlier a shot rang out. >> he raised up, the bullet hit him, pow, knocked him against this door. >> reporter: sharing details from that day, joining thousands to celebrate the life of dr. martin luther king. >> and what i've seen today is remarkable determination to make sure that his death was not in vain, that his legacy endures. >> reporter: a march, music. ♪ >> we've got some difficult days ahead. but it really doesn't matter with me now because i've been to the mountain top. >> reporter: and his message framed the events at the national civil rights museum built around the lorraine motel where dr. king was assassinated. >> you can't know where you're going unless you know where you came from. and you have to know your history. you have to know what your people came from and what your people went through. >> reporter: so many here stressing his

the main commemorative event was at the lorraine motel in memphis, tennessee, where he was murdered. a bell rang out 39 times — one for each year dr king lived. prominent african american leaders have been speaking. only two of dr king's entourage on that day are still alive. before the bells rang out, the reverend michael pfleger, a catholic priest and activist against street violence in chicago, spoke of the importance of maintaining dr king's legacy. the question is, will we wake up to our outrage at the disparities and unequal playing fields that have become an acceptable norm, replace our citizens with hope, and our fear with hate? will we take the vein out of the hate of the bloodstream of america's veins, and give her a transfusion with blood, truth, justice, and righteousness? will we hold america accountable for what she has promised us, all will we be assassins to martin's assassinations with our silence? we may not have been here 50 years ago, but we're here now. don't be an assassin. continue his legacy. american civil rights activist jesse jackson spoke from the lorraine

eastern, live coverage of the outdoor service outside of .he lorraine motel with remarks from jesse jackson and others. c-span3, tuesday, at 8:00 eastern, archival events including walter cronkite announcing dr. king's assassination and a portion of his funeral in atlanta. wednesday at 8:00 eastern, live coverage with civil rights leaders including georgia congressman john lewis, diane tamikaina ella ponty and mallory. the 50th anniversary of the assassination of dr. martin luther king jr. live on tuesday and wednesday on c-span and on american history tv on c-span3. >> now, dave rubin is interested -- is interviewed by nick gillespie at liberty gone -- liberty con. this is about 40 minutes. >> ladies and gentlemen, welcome to libertycon. [cheering] time that it1th has met. admittedly, a little bit of a mouthful. that is one of the reasons why we have changed it. the other is you. you come from all walks of life. all ages

next, an outdoor ceremony in front of the preserved lorraine motel. motel where the reverend king was mortally wounded. remarks from religious and civil rights leaders. he was with martin luther king at the time of the shooting. the commemoration and's with the tolling of a bell exactly 50 years after the assassination. [indiscernible] ♪ , lord i doneone done i done done, i do. what you hold me to talking about, lord i done done, lord i done done. , i done donedone what you told me to do. to do a thing and i done that too. i done done what you told me to do. you told me a thing and i done that too. lord, i done done, lord i done done. done i done done, well i done what you told me to. you told me to preach and i done that too. what youne what to -- told me to do. you told me to preach and i done that too. well, i done done what you told me to. i done done, lord, i done done. , i done donedone what you told me to do. to --ld me to judge and i have done that too. i have done done what you told me to. done, oh lord i done done. i done done done, what you

from years want from the balcony at the lorraine motel to overlook the potomac. stopped building coalitions. blacks could not vote, neither could white women in the south. we never stopped fighting, we never gave up. we never gave up. we never gave out. from this balcony, in memphis -- the balcony in the white house is 40 years in the wilderness. my friends, today, the hope is in the resurrection. in the biblical case, he is gone. but when we celebrated barack winning the campaign in 2008 and 2012, he is alive. when those children marched last week, saying ban assault weapons, enough, enough of guns, enough, he is alive. when we walked and marched and freed mandela, he is alive. my friends, let nothing break your spirit today. he was turned on, violated, yet somehow someway he would not give up. i said to him, i accepted his challenge, i cannot give up. i will not turn around. someone said a few years ago, reverend jackson, you have parkinson's and there is no cure, i know, doctor, but there is a cure for everything. we turn to that doctor, we turned to that faith

on the balcony of the lorraine motel, he was assassinated by a sniper.ll bring care and across the nation 39 times to honour the number of years doctor king lived. when reflecting on his legacy, his contribution to american history compared with the shortness of his life is striking and inspiring. let's cross over to the bbc‘s nada tawfik in memphis. and ron christine. good to see you. good to see you. ryan christie is with me. the bbc‘s political a nalysts. with me. the bbc‘s political analysts. ron, ithink with me. the bbc‘s political analysts. ron, i think everybody here outside the lorraine motel where doctor kang lost his life has really been reflecting on how he shaped the nation. i heavy doubt about how he shaped her life? absolutely. a remarkable expense for me to be here. —— heavy doubt about how he shaped - life. to think he how he shaped her life. to think he was marching for equality in trying to have people the opportunity to go to have people the opportunity to go to school for people to earn a living wage, so important it is opened so many

next, an outdoor ceremony in front of the preserved lorraine motel. motel where the reverend king was mortally wounded. remarks from religious and civil rights leaders. he was with martin luther king at the time of the shooting. the commemoration and's with the tolling of a bell exactly 50 years after the assassination. [indiscernible] ♪

the first time, i checked into the lorraine motel. i got a lot of funny looks when i said i was going to stay a week, because a lot of people were staying by the hour. [laughter] one of the miracles of memphis, and i don't know how it happened, but it must have been civic miracle -- a miracle, to take the lorraine motel from where i sought in 1983, to that incredible institution worldwide. [applause] so, thank you for that. room 308,e stay in the room next to dr. king, but they didn't have a key to it. in fact, they said they didn't have a key to any of the robespierre yet to go to the office and they would let you in. a key to any of the rooms. you had to go to the office and they would let you in. you long ago said an almost biblical event happened when dr. king was killed, let's gather up information and oral history so other people can figure it out, because it goes very deep to what is just and what is not, here in memphis. so they went out and got all of the film footage from the memphis television stations. what had been on the

i checked into the lorraine motel. i got a lot of very funny looks when i said i was going to stay a week because a lot of people were staying by the hour. [laughter] [indiscernible] one of the miracles of memphis, and i don't know how it happened, but it must have been a civic miracle that a lot of you were involved in to take the lorraine motel from where i saw it in 1983 to that incredible institution worldwide. [applause] so, thank you for that. they let me stay in room 308, the room next to dr. king. he didn't have a key. they said they didn't have a key to any of the rooms. you had to go to the office and they would let you in. while i was here, i was doing research. maybe some people were here from the mississippi valley collection. an assortment of your ancestors and some of you from that long ago said an almost biblical event happened here when dr. king was killed. let's gather information, oral histories so other people can figure it out because it goes very deep into what is here in memphis. of the many coll

the crowd packing the streets outside the lorraine motel standing shoulder to shoulder in a moment ofnity under the same balcony where dr. king was shot and killed 50 years ago. >> knowing that he was here to make a change and to be a good advocate for change, it really, it really is a humbling experience >> reporter: but thisrowd was determined to turn the anniversary of king's death into a celebration of his life. ♪ shout hallelujah ♪ come on, get happy >> reporter: here in memphis and across the country, in the south, in the northeast, at the nation's capital and its heartland. >> i thank god that he lived. he taught us how to live. he taught us how to stand up! >> reporter: this group marched the 50 miles from mississippi to memphis. >> this symbolizes like how we've moved forward. . >> reporter: care eyeing with them king's respect. they plan 50 weeks with 50 actions that specific things people can do every single week that they say will create real change. maggie rulli, abc news, memphis, tennessee. >>> two tech giants who pioneer for those with disabilities were awarded. >> our

each april 4, the brothers of alpha phi alpha them to lorraine motel, where dr. king was slain.he brothers collins, southern regional vice president, and and a localr, chapter, we place a wreath and shall render a hymn in remembrance of our brother, my brother,mankind's brother reverend dr. martin luther king, jr. we remember. [applause] >> i am brother kelsie rushing. objective of the fraternity artistically the ambitions of its members, prepare them for the greatest usefulness in the cause of humanity, freedom and dignity of the individual, to encourage the highest and humanity,rm of man, and its efforts to achieve. a by whiche mantr each member lives. it it put a mise is the life and works of our alpha brother, dr. martin luther king, jr.. he was initiated into this brotherhood in 1952. we pause today to remember the man who in king, a spite of constant threats of violence against him and against his family, led in an violent unviolent protest. he lost his life 50 years ago and this very spot. although his life ended 50 years ago, his spirit and legacy lives on. pha brothers

. >> from the balcony of heaven, to the balcony of the lorraine motel, i feel the words of dr.erend martin luther king jr. , and his beautiful bride and , his daughter and so many ancestors leading us to the gospel according to luke, the 18th chapter. hear now god's word. jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. he said in a certain time there town there was a judge who , neither feared god or cared what the people thought. there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, grant me justice against the adversary. for some time this judge refused. finally, he said to himself, even though i do not fear god or care what the people think, because of this persistent widow who keeps bothering me i will see that she gets justice, so that she will not come back and attack me. the lord said to them, listen to what the unjust does, and will not god bring about justice for the chosen ones who cry out to him day and night. will he keep putting them off? he will see that they get justice and quickly. , when the son of ma

the center of activity is going to be right here at the historic lorraine motel. this is the spot where dr. martin luther king, junior was gunned down while standing outside room 306. former united nations ambassador andrew young was with the civil rights leader minutes before the assassination and here is what he remembers. >> i said i think you better get a coat. it was almost like he was, you know, looking up at the weather to see whether he was going to get a coat or not and what i thought was a firecracker went off until i looked up and i didn't see him. >> the lorraine motel has been preserved as part of the national civil rights museum. his youngest daughter bernis was given a preview tour of a new exhibit how it applies to events unfolding today. that exhibit opens to the public today. the day before his assassination martin luther king had arrived in memphis to support striking sanitation workers, one of the churches central to the protest movement was clayborne temple. off in the distance you'll notice a bell. that bell has been rescued from clayborne te

was assassinated on the balcony of the lorraine motel in memphis as the march for civil rights continues and an eyewitness speaks out for the first time with lester holt. >> he had the most pleasant expression on his face. his eyes were open. and, you know, the night before he had seen the mountaintop. >> and i've seen the promised land. i may not get there with you, but i wantou to know the night that we as a people will get to the promised land. >>> good day, everyone. i'm andrea mitchell in washington. nbc news has learned that president trump agreed to stay in syria a while longer, reluctantly. but he was angry when his military advisors argued against what he had told the world earlier in the day, that he wants out of syria, thinks the mission is all but accomplished. >> as far as syria's concerned, our primary mission in terms of that was getting rid of isis. we've almost completed that task. so it's time. it's time. we were very successful against isis. will be successful against anybody militarily. but sometimes it's time to come back home. and we're thinking about that very seri

and peace activist was gunned down on april 4, 1968, at the balcony of his hotel room at the lorraine moteln memphis, tennessee. he was just 39 years old. king was in memphis to support striking sanitation workers. hehe spoke at the mamason templn memphis. it becamee h his final speecech. >> i d't knknow what will happen nowow. wewe have got some difficulties ahahead. but it really doesn'n't matter wiwith me now because i h have n to the mountaintop. like anybody, i would like to live a lg life. longevity has itits place. bubut i'm not concerned about tt now. will.st want to d do god's and hehe has allowowed me to gop to the mountain. and i have looked over and i have seen n the promised land. not get there witith you, but i want you t to know tonight that we a people will get too ththe omised land.d. so i am happy tonight.. i am not worried about anything. i am not feaearing any m man. mimine eyes hahave seen the glof the coming of the lord. amy: dr. martin luther king speaking 50 years ago today in memphis, tennessee, on 3, 1968. aprilless than 24 hours later, king was gunned down by a sn

. >> reporter: the lorraine motel where martin luther king, jr. was assassinated 50 years ago today stages a day of remembrance and reflection. the events kicked off with excerpts from dr. king's speeches. >> somewhere i read that the greatness of america is the right to protest. >> reporter: commemorations began tuesday evening at the church where he gave his last speech. his children gathered at the pulpit to celebrate their father's work and legacy. >> i know our god didn't bring us this far to leave us. >> reporter: martin luther king iii told the crowd the civil rights movement lives on through his father's model of non-violent protest. >> i believe a coalition of "black lives matter," the "#metoo" movement, of these young people, we're gonna see folks coming to the polls like never before! >> reporter: since the assassination, the motel where dr. king was shot has become the national civil rights museum. the host of today's commemoration. >> reporter: despite the civil rights progress over the last half century, the museum's president says a

a woman who was working at the lorraine motel. the story for the very first time, 50 years later. what she remembers about the final moments. but we start with that breaking news on the first prison sentence handed down in a mueller probe. alex vander swan, a london-based lawyer. worked with paul manafort, robert gates. he was sentenced to 30 days in prison, a $20,000 fine. he pled guilty in february to lying to federal investigators who were probing russian interference in the 2016 election. white house lawyer ty cobb declined to comment on that sentencing. all at this hour, the president will face the appreciation taking questions when he hosts the leaders of three baltic nations. they're asking for the united states to provide military protection against what they see is a growing russian threat along their borders, as reports of tensions swirl around the president's relationship with vladimir putin. nbc's jeff bennett is at the white house. our justice correspondent pete williams is at the u.s. district courthouse in washington. also with us, msnbc national security analyst ne

this is here at lorraine's motel, it's america's cavalry.he great leader for civil rights, for human rights, the lover of justice fail. as i've said before, bullets were the nails in his cross. even though it is sad we must do all we can to roll the stone away from hi tomb so that his spirit, life and dedication, and all the things that are important to him are resurrected. like fights the violence and ingest, fighting for fair ways. fighting 15 is a moment no doubt dr. king would have been involved in. for the labor of organized museum he gave his life. he gave his life after all for -- i am 2018. the national civil rights museum is sparkling and that i have put on a lot of great work and they're going to have a tremendous program tonight reasoning the bell at 6:01 p.m. at the precise moment in which he fell. again, we must roll that stone away by registering voters. every voters that's registered as a result of dr. martin luther thing is a rolling away of that stone. he lives on in us. >> reverend thomas i know you're inspired about this a

this could happen this is part of what from the lorraine motel.e were not surprised the terrible effects 1957. they invited him after the bus boycott. this is what came after the secret photographer from georgia. the education commission which was there to him pose and keep segregation took a picture in that society. i actually have a postcard from the society. i don't know how i got it. they did not send it to me. i found it somewhere. courtesy of the john birch society. no explanation just bingo. in when they march. the campaign of hate against king was fueled very much of this. one of the most famous baptist preachers in the world been thought of as a communist. i have read the correspondence. they would write him letters. i heard king is a communist. i hear king as a communist. can you tell us. and he would tell us we really appreciate your comments. they were carrying on as if he was. so what if you were communist. it's not illegal to belong to a political party. it was this kind of insanity of that era. what king was was a nonviolent revolut

king's assassination, remembered him at the site where he was killed, the lorraine motel, now the civilion. the country honoring the legacy he left behind. >> that's not just keep talking about dr. king. let's start trying to live and fulfill the mission he was on. and as my brother would say, realize the dream. >> reporter: while king's work has long been celebrated publicly, the intimate moments of his private, personal life rarely seen until now. ♪ happy birthday >> reporter: those candid moments captured in the new hbo documentary "king in the wilderness." >> we know that you really don't need much. >> reporter: dr. clayton worked with king and was a close friend of the family. here she is celebrating what would ultimately be his last birthday. >> when you go to jail, here are shoestring potatoes. >> many of us feel we know a lot about martin luther king, but you knew him personally. >> people are surprised to know is that he was just the funniest person ever. people can't imagine him laughing and telling jokes and having a good time because when you saw him in public, he was talkin

the crowd packing the streets outside the lorraine motel standing shoulder to shoulder in a moment oflcony where dr. king was shot and killed 50 years ago. >> knowing that he was here to make a change and to be a good advocate for change, it really, it really is a humbling experience. >> reporter: but this crowd was determined to turn the anniversary of king's death into a celebration of life. ♪ shout hallelujah ♪ come on, get happy >> reporter: here in memphis and across the country, in the south, in the northeast, at the nation's capital and its heartland. >> i thank god that he lived. he taught us how to live. he taught us how to stand up! >> reporter: this group marched the 50 miles from mississippi to memphis. >> this symbolizes like how we've moved forward. . >> reporter: care them king's respect. they plan 50 weeks with 50 actions that specific things people can do every single week that they say will create real change. maggie rulli, abc news, memphis, tennessee. >>> two tech giants who for those with disabilities were awarded. >> our very own sports anchor mike shumann emceed