Doctor Martin Luther King joined push to end racial discrimination in nation’s oldest city

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In this record photograph taken April 12, 1963 Rev. Ralph Abernathy, left, and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. pb a file of demonstrators arsenic they effort to march connected Birmingham, Ala., City Hall. Arrested for starring a march against radical segregation successful 1963, King Jr. spent days successful solitary confinement penning his Letter From Birmingham Jail, which was smuggled retired and stirred the satellite by explaining wherefore Black radical couldn't support waiting for just treatment. (AP Photo/Horace Cort) (Horace Cort, AP1963)

SAINT AUGUSTINE, Fla – In 1964 the City of St. Augustine was preparing to observe its 400th anniversary, successful the aforesaid twelvemonth a bid to rally enactment for the Civil Rights Act, which had stalled successful Congress.

King and his bequest are profoundly tied to what helium did, and wherever helium went successful St Augustine that summer.

The steps extracurricular the Bayfront Hilton successful downtown St Augustine were erstwhile portion of the Monson Motor Lodge Hotel. It was a segregated edifice that has since been torn down. The steps wherever King was arrested for taking portion successful an attempted sit-in are inactive determination on with a plaque.

Dr. King was besides arrested and taken to St John’s County Jail wherever a photograph of his fingerprints is present connected show successful the Florida House Chambers. His lawsuit would yet spell earlier a expansive jury, astatine the national courthouse successful Jacksonville, wherever a justice ruled successful his favor.

A week aft his apprehension different radical of protesters held a swim-in astatine the hotel.

On June 18, 1964, the Monson Motor Lodge Hotel’s manager was captured connected camera pouring acerb into the pool, which the representation shocked the country. The demonstrators weren’t wounded by the acid, but galore were arrested and their actions struck a chord and the Senate passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the adjacent day.

Dr. King was inactive successful St. Augustine erstwhile helium got the quality and took a representation flashing a bid sign.

While helium was successful St. Augustine King stayed astatine respective antithetic places for his safety. One of them was a beachfront cottage connected Atlantic presumption wherever it was targeted by radical who seemingly thought King was staying there, but helium was not.

A mates purchased the spot past twelvemonth with plans to renovate and sphere the home’s historical value that includes a slug spread inactive successful 1 of the doorway frames.

The onslaught connected King’s beingness was not the last.

Four years aft his summertime successful St Augustine - King was assassinated astatine the Lorraine Motel successful Memphis, Tennessee.

His words and actions changed the federation and we retrieve him Today with acts of work to our community