The Heavens Might Crack

UNH historian publishes book about the death and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
UNH history professor Jason Sokol

In "THE HEAVENS MIGHT CRACK: The Death and Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.”, Jason Sokol, Arthur K. Whitcomb Associate Professor of History at UNH, gives context to how Americans and others around the world, grappled with King’s death in the days, weeks and months afterwards. He reveals how the consequences surrounding King’s assassination shaped not only his legacy but the course of the Civil Rights Movement and race relations in America.

Published March 20, 2018, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of King’s assassination on April 4, 1968, the book revisits that turbulent time. Even though it was only a few years after the enactment of landmark civil rights laws, King’s murder sparked riots that shook America’s cities, contributed to a rising militancy among African Americans and exposed continued white racism. Still, many African Americans held onto the hope that one day the country might embrace King’s rhetoric for freedom and equality.

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