Students from Clark College gathered around Dr. King's tomb at Southview Cemetery

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

This black and white photograph was taken the day of the first commemorative event for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday in 1969. The photograph shows a group of unidentified people visiting King's original burial site at South-View Cemetery. The unmarked side of the marble tomb can be seen at proper right under a dark tent. There is a small ceremonial flame resting on a bed of pebbles between the grave and the crowd. The unidentified crowd is standing facing the tomb. The back of the photograph has a manufacturer's mark, and handwritten and printer's inscriptions.

Explore Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture ↗