Primary sourceSpeech4 April 1968

Speech on the Assassination of Martin Luther King

Robert F. Kennedy · 4 April 1968

Robert F. Kennedy's impromptu Indianapolis speech announcing King's assassination to a crowd in April 1968.

A primary contemporary reaction to King's assassination from a major political figure.

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About this source

What it is

This is a speech given by Robert F. Kennedy, delivered without preparation to a crowd in Indianapolis, announcing that Martin Luther King Jr. had been killed.

Why it matters

The speech is a key contemporary reaction to King's assassination, showing how the news was received and how a major political figure responded to it in the moment.

Look closer

Why might Kennedy have chosen to deliver this news himself rather than let someone else announce it?
What does the opening of the speech suggest about how he tried to prepare the crowd for sad news?
How might this speech have affected the public's reaction to King's death?

This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Martin Luther King Jr. on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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