April 4, 2018 marks 50th anniversary of MLK’s death

April 4, 2018 marks 50th anniversary of MLK’s death

April 4, 2018, will mark 50 years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a tragedy that reverberated across the globe and transformed the fight for civil rights in the United States. Comcast NBCUniversal is honoring this historic milestone by serving as the Media and Technology Sponsor for the National Civil Rights Museum’s “MLK50 Commemoration” and will livestream the day’s events for free to the general public.

The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis is one of the nation’s premier heritage and cultural museums and is located at the former Lorraine Motel, where King’s life was taken while standing on a second-floor balcony. Throughout the day, Comcast NBCUniversal’s livestream will provide viewers around the world with front-row access to the museum’s lineup of speakers, performances, and tributes from civil rights leaders. The livestream will be broadcast through Comcast NBCUniversal’s award-winning “Voices of the Civil Rights Movement” platform at CivRightsVoices.com and on FacebookTwitter, and YouTube.

Comcast NBCUniversal is honored to partner with the National Civil Rights Museum to pay tribute to Dr. King’s influence and legacy through its historic MLK50 Commemoration,” said Ebonne Ruffins, Vice President, local media development, Comcast. “Our company is committed to the values that Dr. King embodied by driving inclusion for our employees, customers and community partners.”

“As we approach April 4, we know that the world will be watching as we both reflect on the past but more importantly, focus on the future,” said Terri Lee Freeman, President, National Civil Rights Museum. “We are proud to partner with Comcast NBCUniversal as our Media and Technology Sponsor as we commemorate Dr.King’s legacy.”

The MLK50 Commemoration will attract local, national and international media, including NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, which will broadcast from outside the National Civil Rights Museum on April 4. Comcast will connect thousands of local event attendees to free WiFi through Xfinity WiFi on Wheels and will power a media lounge for the press via a dedicated broadband connection.

Live coverage kicks off April 4 at 10:30 a.m. ET on CivRightsVoices.com and FacebookTwitter and YouTube, and culminates in a dramatic bell toll at 7:01 p.m. ET, the approximate moment of King’s assassination. Viewers are invited to react on social media using #MLK50NCRM.