The Nation will pause to commemorate MLK Jr. Today bells will sound around the nation and prayers will be said to mark the 50th anniversary after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Huge crowds are expected at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis where King was shot and killed on this day in 1968. "Today, we remember my father's death, but most importantly, we must remember the purpose and power of his life," said his daughter Bernice King. After 6 pm today, the time King was killed, bells will toll across the nation and around the world will ring 39 times to honor his age when he died. A march is scheduled for today in Portland, with people gathering at the Oregon Convention Center at 11am.
Some memorable quotes that are still as powerful today as they were in Dr. King's time:
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
"The time is always right to do what is right."
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."