Former Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on Thursday (January 15), the site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, per theGrio.

The visit coincided with MLK’s birthday and marked Harris' first time at the historic site. Harris also toured the National Civil Rights Museum as part of her “107 Days” book tour.

The Lorraine Motel, designated a historical site in 1982 and later incorporated into the National Civil Rights Museum, preserves the legacy of King and the broader civil rights movement. During her visit, Harris paused on the balcony where King was shot by James Earl Ray nearly six decades ago.

Harris toured the museum for about 45 minutes under the guidance of Russ Wigginton, the museum’s president, and Ryan Jones, director of history, interpretation, and curatorial services. The former vice president viewed exhibitions spanning five centuries of Black history, including slavery, Reconstruction, the rise of Jim Crow, and the pivotal events of the Civil Rights era.

“It is by maybe divine plan, but certainly by coincidence, that we happen to be in Memphis on today,” Harris said, acknowledging the symbolism of visiting the site on MLK’s birthday.

Harris emphasized the importance of remembering and teaching Black history in an era she implied is marked by efforts to downplay or sanitize it.

“Especially at this moment in time, we need to remind people of our true history in a way that gives us a collective sense of pride and who we are as Americans,” she said.

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Zach Boog