Local Speech, Global Reach

Indiana Historical Society Traveling Exhibit

This exhibit explores the impact of Bobby Kennedy’s April 4, 1968 speech given in Indianapolis in an effort to comfort the crowd and come to terms with the assassination of MLK earlier that day.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy stopped in a neighborhood in the near north side of Indianapolis to make a speech while on his presidential campaign trail. The folks in the crowd had no idea they would hear of Martin Luther King Jr.’s death that very day. In an effort to comfort the crowd and come to terms with the senseless violence, Robert Kennedy gave an impromptu speech that encouraged peace, hope, bravery and reconciliation. This exhibit explores the impact of Kennedy’s words and King’s legacy on several Indianapolis residents, while also looking at the Civil Rights Movement in Indianapolis. The MLK Jr. Park marking the speech’s location, and King’s impact on the National Civil Rights Movement is located at 601 East 17th Street; Indianapolis.

The exhibit showcases themes brought out in Kennedy’s speech and King’s civil rights work by exploring the lives of several human rights defenders working around the globe. The nonprofit advocacy group, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, provided the displayed biographies and images. The Indiana Historical Society and the Kennedy King Memorial Initiative collaborated on this exhibit to honor the 50th anniversary of King’s death and Kennedy’s speech.