Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited New Jersey just one week before his assassination, delivering what would become one of his final speeches at Metropolitan AME Zion Church. The visit remains a significant moment in the state’s civil rights.
Dr. King had longstanding connections to the state of New Jersey, including multiple visits to Jersey City during the Civil Rights Movement.
For Dr. King’s second visit in Jersey City on March 27, 1968, the civil rights leader spoke of support for his “Poor People’s Campaign,” which demanded economic and human rights for poor people regardless of background. The campaign called for fair wages, housing, and access to basic necessities. This resulted in the Poor People’s March on Washington following King’s assassination…