A new documentary film, MLK: The Assassination Tapes, examines events in Memphis leading up to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968. Directed by Tom Jennings, the film has won the prestigious Peabody Award.
Jennings stated that the film would not have been possible without the help of the special collections unit of the University of Memphis Library. “Since most of the local news stations no longer have their footage from that time, we were thrilled when we discovered such a vast archive housed at the University,” he said. “Curator Ed Frank and his staff worked long hours with us to make sure we had the footage needed to make the film a reality. This project was truly a labor of love – piecing together dozens of hours of footage from the University’s archives into a solid story.”
The university’s collection includes broadcast footage from local and national media outlets, still photographs, and documents relating to the city sanitation worker’s strike and Dr. King’s effort on behalf of the munipal employees. University officials also conducted oral history interviews of 150 people who were involved in the strike or were associated with Dr. King’s efforts in Memphis.
You may view the video below.
