Robert and Ethel Kennedy at the Martin Luther King Funeral

On April 9, 1968, Robert and Ethel Kennedy attended Martin Luther King’s funeral in Atlanta. Also in attendance were thirty senators, fifty U.S. House members, several governors, and their wives. Hubert Humphrey, Eugene McCarthy and Richard Nixon were present.

Cries of “politicking” greeted Nixon. Humphrey was booed. Robert Kennedy was the only white politician to hear only cheers and applause.

After the funeral services, Kennedy joined the procession that marched two hours in the heat to the cemetery. Thousands dropped out in the heat, fainted and collapsed. Nixon and Humphrey skipped the procession and went to the airport.

Kennedy walked the entire way. Unlike the other white dignitaries, he was continuously applauded and cheered.

From that point forward, Kennedy’s campaign prioritized the themes of racial justice and reconciliation.

You can learn more about Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 campaign at the link. We have written the first book on the 1968 Nebraska Democratic primary.

https://www.denniscrawford.org/

Sources consulted:

Clarke, Thurston. The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 2008.

Witcover, Jules, 85 Days: The Last Campaign of Robert F. Kennedy. (New York: William Morrow and Co., 1969.