Martin Luther King Jr was one of the pioneers of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s-60s. He had a very strong commitment to preaching nonviolence and nonviolent solutions to their problems, despite the constant violence that they faced on a daily basis. Despite instances of lynching, police brutality, mass arrests and public beatings, the civil rights movement remained primarily nonviolent. However, during his time as an outspoken protestor, he was assassinated. On April 4^th, 1968 he was fatally shot on the second floor balcony of a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee while going to be apart of a march for striking sanitation workers. After his death, rioting broke out across the country, especially in inner city areas. The one responsible for his death, James Earl Ray, had managed to stay on the run for about two months before he was found and captured in England. After being arrested, he pled guilty to the shooting and was given a prison sentence of 99 years. However, even after pleading guilty, he claimed for the rest of his life that he had been framed and had not actually been the one to assassinate King.  He claimed that he had been set up by a conspiracy.

“Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr..” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 28 Mar. 2024, www.britannica.com/event/assassination-of-Martin-Luther-King-Jr.

Curtis J. Austin                    /                            February 2002. “On Violence and Nonviolence: The Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi.” On Violence and Nonviolence: The Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi - 2002-02, www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/issue/the-civil-rights-movement-in-mississi.... Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

The Vietnam war would have been an integral part to the artist’s identity, which is why I included it in the timeline. He served for multiple years during the beginning of the conflict, which would have colored his outlook on life at the time. I believe that it affected the subject matter of his work and made his work inherently political, even if unintended. The civil rights movement and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. were also very integral to the subject of the photograph. During this time in history, it would’ve been the peak of the civil rights movement, where African Americans and other people of color fought for rights and recognition as people. This was integral to the identity of people of color at the time, as it paved the road for rights and being treated as people. These events definitely affected American culture at the time, to allow more acceptance even if just a little bit. This was a time in which America was forced to face its history of systemic racism and injustice. It caused an upheaval in the typical American day-to-day, giving birth to a new generation of activism, in which equality was a primary goal. The anti-war movement was a very powerful force during this time as well, as it influenced all culture, especially art and music. This very art piece by Bruce Davidson was also heavily affected by the events during this time period. I believe that this art is a reflection of all culture, even if indirectly.