Martin Luther King Jr. was in Memphis, Tennessee, at the time of his assassination on April 4, 1968, to support a sanitation workers' strike. The African American sanitation workers in Memphis had been protesting for better wages and working conditions, as they were suffering from long-standing racial discrimination and unsafe working environments. Dr. King saw their struggle as a crucial part of his broader civil rights and social justice mission, often referred to as the Poor People's Campaign.

He had delivered his famous "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech the night before his assassination, aiming to encourage and galvanize the striking workers and their supporters. Unfortunately, he was shot on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, marking a tragic moment in American history.

His presence and the circumstances surrounding his assassination highlight both his commitment to economic justice as part of the civil rights movement and the volatile racial and social tensions of the time.