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During the Sixties the future of the State of Israel became a domestic issue for both the USA and the USSR, that of the island of Ireland an important one for the USA, but, perhaps over and above all other similar matters the condition and future of the emerging post-imperial and/or post-colonial Africa became a major concern for African Americans, not least because ‘emancipation’ from imperialism denied African-Africans true emancipation from colonialism, much as independence from Spain and Portugal had not really meant true emancipation from colonialism for Amerindians. And the Unilateral Declarations of Independence by “White” Rhodesia and “White” South Africa made an historical unity with the UDIs of the North and South American European-based elites, privileged by their possession of material or intellectual Capital, or, best of all, both like Thomas Jefferson, America’s Universal Renaissance Man.

Emerging ‘Black History’ made a unity of all this, not dissimilar to Marxism. The same story of Imperialist masters enslaving the working people at home and abroad, and the need for the masses to organise and mobilise in the eternal class struggle. Thus in the late Sixties when there was another economic downturn, which once again hit African-Americans as a group harder than any other social “set” there were new leaders and new messages like Black Power and the Black Panthers, and voices of moderation and peace had been urging Martin Luther King for some time now, since the passing of the Civil Rights Bill, to become active on social matters, though his priority, as a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, was non-violence and world peace.

It was thus that he launched the Poor People’s Campaign and found himself committed to appearing in various places because, as now a world famous figure, any event that he attended was likely to attract vastly larger crowds than any event without him, those crowds including a vast press corps that would guarantee massive press coverage.

Dr. King’s idea was to repeat the build up to the March on Washington in 1963, culminating with another great gathering at the Lincoln Memorial: and naturally enough, in order to acquaint himself with the issues of poverty and equality he met with American Communists in much the same way as members of the African National Congress movement met with Communists, as Nelson Mandela maintained Communists believed that they were fighting for the poor and oppressed. But these were still dangerous times in which to be found to be talking to known Communists either in South Africa or the USA, especially because the FBI knew probably better than Dr. King just to what extent “Black Americans” in the USA were following the Young ANC. The time when respected elders had respectfully knocked on the door and politely asked for what was rightfully theirs was passed.

Dr. King’s circle reported the unwillingness of “Black elders” to commit themselves by booking hotel accommodation in Washington in order to guarantee being able to attend the grand finale, and as he toured across ‘the South’, he was disturbed by the lack of volunteers and stewards. In Memphis things seemed particularly bad because he discovered worrying divisions within the local Black Community, especially with a young student group called the Invaders, who felt that they had been unfairly excluded from a march. Dr. King made sure that they were included, but that march turned into a disaster.

Dr. King’s plane was an hour late, which did not help the crowd, which was then stirred by a rumour that a policeman had injured and possibly killed a high school student while trying to stop youngsters joining the march. And when the march got underway- “He [Dr. King], Abernathy, and others in the front rank could sense the angry mood of the younger participants. The local leaders had appointed marshals to supervise the column, but most gathered near the front, and the rear ranks were composed largely of ill-disciplined youths”. (page 610) But as the leaders reached Main Street at the back of the march youths started smashing shop-windows and looting. Police reinforcements were called and went into action. Dr. King and his entourage were moved to safety, and at Clayborn Temple, where the police tried to drive the marchers into the Church to contain them, youths stoned the police, who responded with tear gas, and eventually the “police shot and killed a young black man who they believed was looting.” (page 611)

At the Holiday Inn Rivermount as Ralph Abernathy recalled “I had never seen him so depressed..Dr. King was greatly disturbed.” King told Abernathy, “Maybe we just have to admit that the day of violence is here, and maybe we have to just give up and let violence take its course. The nation won’t listen to our voice- maybe it’ll heed the voice of violence…Ralph, we live in a sick nation…Maybe we will just have to let violence run its course. “(page 612)

Finding himself in the same situation as his great inspiration, Mahatma Gandhi, who also came to a time of violence when the masses who once had followed him no longer listened to his voice and the case for peace and non-violence, he felt like calling off the march on Washington. The men of peace now lacked the conviction to go there, and he was reluctant to lead a mob. Instead he might follow Gandhi in just declaring a fast unto death. Meanwhile the leaders of the Invaders came to disclaim responsibility for things getting out of hand “We represented the element that really did break it, but…these people were not controlled by us. None of our people started it”: and Dr. King was back in Memphis a few days later, via Atlanta and Washington, and a plain back that was delayed by a bomb scare.

And yet it was no doubt in sadness as well as anger that he pointed out to young Memphis activists who argued that violence was now the only way the very point that J.K.Galbraith had made in 1958. It was because of men of violence in this world that the USA spent such huge sums of money on its military establishment, and violence would only justify more such expenditure, which would always prove most detrimental to the poor, because that is how poverty is defined.

And it was in Memphis, after having been persuaded by Ralph Abernathy who saw how disappointed the mass meeting at the Mason Temple, to make one more speech, that Martin Luther King was shot dead.