INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — Fifty years ago, then-Sen. Robert F. Kennedy stood upon a flat bed truck and delivered a speech to much of Indianapolis' black community, informing them of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.
Authorities suggested Kennedy should cancel his appearance, which was supposed to be a campaign rally for his run to become the Democratic nominee in the 1968 presidential election. They told him they wouldn't be able to protect him from what was sure to be a raucous and violent crowd.
But Kennedy still went on stage. And his words calmed the crowd. The first reaction to the news was a collective gasp, and then silence.
"He lifted people up, which is what great political leaders should do," said Teresa Lubbers. "He spoke from the heart, so that is why we connected."
The speech is widely regarded as Kennedy's greatest, and one of the best speeches in American history.
Watch Kennedy's full speech in the video player above.