© 2026 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Bells Will Mark MLK Assassination Anniversary In Lansing

Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Lyndon Johnson
U.S. Embassy New Delhi
/
Flickr Creative Commons
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (pictured with President Lyndon Johnson) was killed 50 years ago today.

The Greater Lansing Area Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission will hold a ceremony this evening to mark the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination.

An eyewitness to the assassination, Mary Ellen Norwood Ford, will speak. She can be seen in the well-known photo of Dr. King on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee moments after the shooting.

The ceremony will begin on the steps of the state capital building at 6:30 p.m., and the ringing of bells will start at 7:01. The public is invited to bring their own bells, and bells will also be available on site.

Scott Pohl has maintained an on-call schedule reporting for WKAR following his retirement after 36 years on the air at the station.
WKAR has closed the gap left by the loss of federal funding. Because of you, trusted journalism, inspiring stories, and classical music remain freely available to everyone in mid-Michigan.
Now the work continues — your monthly gift helps maintain this success and keeps public media free for all.