History What If Podcast
What If Martin Luther King Was Not Assassinated
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- In this alternate reality where Martin Luther King Jr. was not assassinated, he continued his advocacy for human rights and successfully led the Poor People's Campaign in Washington.
- The survival of Martin Luther King Jr. had significant consequences, including advocating for the end of the Vietnam War and playing a role in the free South Africa movement, but his movement lost momentum due to controversy surrounding his personal life and Robert F. Kennedy lost the 1972 election due to a diminished Black vote, resulting in George Romney becoming the 37th President of the United States.
Deep dives
The survival of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after an assassination attempt
In this parallel universe, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was not assassinated in 1968. Instead, he was shot in the upper right shoulder, which was non-fatal. The attempted assassination did not cause any major riots, and King delivered a message of peace to the people. He continued his advocacy for human rights, leading the successful Poor People's Campaign in Washington, with over 20,000 participants. King endorsed Robert F. Kennedy, who became the 37th President of the United States, defeating Richard Nixon. Under Kennedy's administration, social reforms, including healthcare and free education for state universities, were implemented. However, J. Edgar Hoover's leak of damaging information about King's personal life tarnished his image, leading to a decline in support and eventually a loss to George Romney in the 1972 election. King remained active but without the same impact, passing away from natural causes in 1998.
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