The Lorraine Motel photographed in the hours after Dr. King's assassination, April 4, 1968” by Henry Grokinsky

The Lorraine Motel photographed in the hours after Dr. King's assassination, April 4, 1968” by Henry Grokinsky.

Saturday, April 4^th marked the anniversary of the death of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King.  To mark the occasion, LIFE.com posted a on its website of the motel he was assassinated at.  The picture, which was never published in the magazine, has the caption of: “The Lorraine Motel photographed in the hours after Dr. King's assassination, April 4, 1968” and was taken by Henry Grokinsky.

                Like several of the other photos I’ve chosen to discuss, this one stands out to me because of a combination of what it actually shows and the larger picture it represents.  The image itself it taken at night, with a majority of the image being taken up by the featureless night sky above. The street lights and marquee of the motel bleach the picture with overexposure.  The pure white lights strike a very stark contrast against the dark night.  A geographic location is established because the motels name, Lorraine, is visible. The motel itself, in different shades of grey sits in the background of the picture. Due to the extreme darkness surrounding it, the motel has a ominous or foreboding presence to it.

                Without context, the image depicts the Lorraine Motel as an uninviting place. I certainly wouldn’t want to spend a night there. When this imagery is paired with the actual story of the picture, this feeling is confirmed. After reading the article it accompanies, there is a grim and sad revelation. On April 4^th, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated while preparing for a speech in Memphis Tennessee. MLK was undoubtedly one of the most important figures in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s, and it certainly the most revered.

                The picture of the motel doesn’t really contradict with the awful history behind it. As previously mentioned, the image isn’t a “happy” one. This feeling is magnified when one considers the events which took place there. MLK remains celebrated today due to his unrelenting march for equal rights, and his refusal to resort to violence. Calling his assassination a true tragedy may not be a strong enough word. Still, it is important to never forget MLK, or the images of where he died when considering the various civil rights movements that are still being (peacefully) fought today.