New York : Basic Books, 2018.

©2018

vii, 343 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

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Includes bibliographical references (pages 313-323) and index.

Introduction. Shot rings out -- Losing King -- The last prince of nonviolence -- "He knew that millions hated King" -- Roses for my soul -- The world stands aghast -- Stop the shots -- From outlaw to saint -- Conclusion. King in our time.

"A vivid portrait of how Americans grappled with King's death and legacy in the days, weeks, and months after his assassination On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. At the time of his murder, King was a polarizing figure--scorned by many white Americans, worshiped by some African Americans and liberal whites, and deemed irrelevant by many black youth. In The Heavens Might Crack, historian Jason Sokol traces the diverse responses, both in America and throughout the world, to King's death. Whether celebrating or mourning, most agreed that the final flicker of hope for a multiracial America had been extinguished. A deeply moving account of a country coming to terms with an act of shocking violence, The Heavens Might Crack is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand America's fraught racial past and present"-- Provided by publisher.

King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968 -- Assassination -- Public opinion.

King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968 -- Influence.

United States -- Race relations -- History.

African Americans -- Social conditions.

Public opinion -- United States.

HISTORY / Social History.

HISTORY / United States / 20th Century.

SOCIAL SCIENCE / Discrimination & Race Relations.

POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Freedom & Security / Civil Rights.

King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968.

African Americans -- Social conditions.

Assassination -- Public opinion.

Influence (Literary, artistic, etc.)

Public opinion.

Race relations.

United States.

History.

9780465055913 (hardcover)

0465055915 (hardcover)

9781541697393 (electronic book)

1541697391 (electronic book)