May 19, 1968 - Resurrection City

A History of the Poor People’s Campaign in Real Time

The exhibition corresponds to the timeline of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s last monumental social protest. On this site, we look at specific days from the Campaign, hoping to broaden the context of this history.

The 1968 campaign

April 9, 1968
April 29, 1968
May 1, 1968
May 2, 1968
May 12, 1968
May 13, 1968
May 19, 1968
May 21, 1968
May 25, 1968
May 31, 1968

A mid afternoon downpour soaked "Resurrection City" 5/19 as workers hurried to construct huts for new arrivals behind a fence with the words "Dr. King's Plaza." The city began 5/13 but its construction has been plagued by organizational problems.