INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - This Wednesday will mark 50 years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
It also marks the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest speeches in American history.
We're talking about Robert Kennedy’s speech here in Indianapolis.
Abie Robinson was there to hear the speech that night
"I have some very sad news for all of you," Kennedy said.
"The way he introduced into it ‘I have some bad news,’ that quieted everything down," Robinson said.
"Martin Luther King was shot and killed tonight," Kennedy continued, which brought a loud groan from the crowd.
"It was more than audible. I am a spiritual person so I think I felt it because I felt it in my soul," said Robinson.
"For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and distrust at the injustice of such an act, against all white people, I can only say that I feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man," Kennedy told the crowd.
"Even though he jumped way to Aeschylus then right after that he came right back to it. I can relate to you. The same thing happened in my family. That brought it back to me. Helped me to understand that he understood," Robinson remembered.
"What we need in the United States is not division. What we need in the United States is not hatred. What we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness," Kennedy's speech continued.
"But love and wisdom and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or they be black," Robinson said, finishing Kennedy's thought.
We asked Robinson if those words still resonate today.
"Oh yes they still do." he answered. "It's up to us, those of us who truly understand those words. It's up to us to paint the picture of the future we want. Not only for our city, not only for our community but the world," he noted.
There are a couple events planned for the 50th anniversary.
Congressman John Lewis and Kerry Kennedy are participating in a special event at 10:30 Wednesday morning. It's at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Broadway street in Indy.
At 5:00 p.m. there will be another event there as well. It is also open to the public.