Martin Luther King was a civil rights activist during the 1960’s, a time where America was ridden with racism and prejudice, that most people considered moral and normal. African Americans were not treated the same as white people, and were discriminated against in all aspects of life including job attainment and even service when eating in a restaurant. King was an African American man who attempted to call attention to this inequality and tried to bring about change by organizing peaceful protests and rallies. Unlike other civil rights activists at the time, King did not support violent protests. Many people are familiar with King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech, which he delivered on August 28, 1963. It advocated a world in which people of all races could coexist peacefully and equally. Unfortunately, the racial tension in America was extreme and there was a lot of opposition to King’s views. King was assassinated on April 4th, 1968 by James Earl Ray, who happened to be an escaped fugitive. Riots broke out in over 100 U.S. cities after his assassination, and many civil rights activists became disillusioned with the fight for civil rights after King’s death and others felt that if this was the result of nonviolent protests, that protestors should resort to violence. King’s efforts played a major role in he passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which enforced the 14th amendment right to equal protection under the law and forbade discrimination.

King’s assassination was important to Patti Smith, because after King’s death, riots broke out, mostly in big cities like New York where Patti lived. The struggle for equality was a major influence in the lives of people in the 60’s like Patti, and King’s death was shocking and influenced more people to join the fight for civil rights for all.