Today, April 4th, marks the 50th anniversary of the 1968 assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. The political activist was shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, dying of a bullet wound in the neck, according to Walter Cronkite’s original coverage of the tragedy.

We celebrate Dr. King and the sacrifices he made for the advancement of our society, with several notable names taking to social media to recognize one of the most important figures in American history.

The Obama Foundation shared video of former President Barack Obama and Rep. John Lewis discussing MLK’s legacy 50 years after his passing.

Rev. Al Sharpton also spoke on the slain leader’s impact and influence on MSNBC’s Hardball, sharing the footage via Twitter.

The activist’s youngest child, Rev. Bernice King, recently spoke of her father at Mason Temple in Memphis, TN, where he gave his final speech. King shared the footage and dedicated a note to the father she lost at just five years old.

Several other public figures have also shown their respects, including former Vice President Joe Biden, activist Brittany Packnett, rapper Common and more. Read several of their dedications to the icon below.

“The heart of America grieves today. A leader of his people — a teacher of all people — has fallen. Martin Luther King, Jr., has been struck down by the violence against which he preached and worked. Yet the cause for which he struggled has not fallen. The voice that called for justice and brotherhood has been stilled — but the quest for freedom, to which he gave eloquent expression, continues.” … This excerpt is from Presidential Proclamation 3839 of April 5, 1968, by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which designated Sunday April 7, 1968 as a day of national mourning for Martin Luther King, Jr. National Archives Identifier: 299993. … #CivilRightsHistory #MartinLutherKingJr #50thAnniversary #MLK #civilrights #MLK50 #OTD

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The Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday is a day on, not a day off. It is a day of service to our communities, to our brothers and sisters, and to generations yet unborn so that we all may continue Dr. King’s work of building the beloved community. Dr. King was my friend, my brother, my leader. He was the moral compass of our nation and he taught us to recognize the dignity and worth of every human being. Today, Dr. King’s legacy is a guiding light. As we push and pull for a more just and more equal society, Dr King’s campaigns against war, against poverty, against racism show us that love is the universal value for a society at peace with itself. As Dr. King used to say, you have to love the hell out of them. #goodtrouble

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