On 20 september 1958, izola ware curry, a 42yearold mentally disturbed woman, stabbed martin luther king, jr. The black woman who tried to murder dr martin luther king. After attacking king at a 1958 book signing a decade before the civil rights leader would be assassinated by james earl raycurry lived for decades in virtual anonymity, first at the matteawan state hospital. On the fateful day of september 20, 1958, civil rights leader dr. Curry was found to be incompetant to stand trial and was committed to a mental institution. Woman who stabbed martin luther king now living in ny retirement home. The woman who stabbed martin luther king more than 50 years ago in harlem died last week in queens at 98, police sources said tuesday. King heckled as he speaks at youth march for integrated schools rally.
Mlk skipped 2 years of high school and went to college and got a bachelors degree in sociology. The montgomery story in blumsteins department store. Who stabbed martin luther king jr with a letter opener. Woman who stabbed martin luther king is now dead at 98.
Why did izola ware curry stabbed martin luther king jr. This is where kings speech about if i had sneezed came from. In retaliation, curry walked into the book signing event on sept. Woman who stabbed martin luther king with letter opener at 1958 book signing is now 98 and living in new york nursing home. Police said the civil rights leader was stabbed by mrs. Izola curry attempted to assassinate the civilrights leader w. The yearlong boycott had led to a supreme court ruling that racial segregation on public buses was unconstitutional. Izola ware curry, 98, woman who stabbed mlk obituaries. During a book signing at blumsteins department store in harlem, king is stabbed by izola ware curry. While signing copies of his first book stride toward freedom, a woman named izola ware curry stabbed king with a letter opener in blumsteins department store in new york city.
Adversity the life and legacy of martin luther king jr. Curry was a 42yearold mentally ill woman who stabbed dr. King was an emerging activist who was hosting a book signing for his book, stride toward freedom. In an attempted assassination, izola ware curry stabbed dr. Pearson recreates america at the dawn of the civil rights movement, and in. Mlk remembered on anniversary of harlem stabbing that. Curry, then 42, plunged a letter opener into the civil rights leaders chest during a 1958 harlem book signing, missing mlks. New york izola ware curry, the mentally ill woman who in 1958 stabbed the rev. Izola ware curry, the woman who stabbed martin luther king.
Mlk was stabbed a decade before he died at a book signing with a letter opener. He is rushed to harlem hospital where a team of doctors. It was a saturday afternoon, and king had been signing his first book, stride toward freedom, at blumsteins department store on 125th street. When strive toward freedom was published, martin luther king, jr went on a tour to promote it. Mlk recovering in the hospital following the nearfatal stabbing. Powered by create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Izola ware curry, who stabbed king in 1958, is dead at 98 from the article. When harlem nearly killed king spins the tale of a littleknown episode in the life of dr. Martin luther king, leading africanamerican apostle of nonviolence in the integration struggle and spearhead of the montgomery, ala. He regularly received threats and was injured more than once. Izola curry stabs mlk the woodstock whispererjim shelley. Martin luther king, jr was in new york city signing copies of his recently published book, stride toward freedom.
On a saturday afternoon, during a book signing at blumstein department store in harlem, ny, a welldressed woman named izola curry, approached and asked him if he was martin luther king, jr. She stabbed king with a letter opener at a harlem book signing on september 20. King during his new york book signing for stride toward freedom. He was stabbed by a africanamerican women while signing his new book. In 1958, while at a book signing, mlk was stabbed by a black woman named izola curry.
King was assassinated on the second floor balcony of his motel in memphis, tn never once did he quit, but he persevered. Izola ware curry, demented black woman who stabbed mlk. Izola ware curry was on line with others who were waiting for king to sign a copy of the book. Obviously, he survived and was later killed in memphis in 1968. He is rushed to harlem hospital where a team of doctors successfully removes a seveninch letter opener from his chest. During a book signing at a store in harlem, new york, king was stabbed on the chest with a letter opener by an american woman named izola curry. She stabbed king with a letter opener at a harlem book signing on september 20, 1958, during the harlem civil rights movement of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Izola ware curry, the mentally ill woman who in 1958 stabbed the rev. While in the store, a welldressed middleaged black woman approached king and asked whether it was really him. She was declared mentally unable to stand trial and was committed. She stabbed king with a letter opener at a harlem book signing on september 20, 1958, during the harlem civil rights movement of the. How an assassination attempt affirmed mlks faith in nonviolence.
Woman who stabbed martin luther king with letter opener at 1958 book signing is now 98 and living in new york nursing home woman who stabbed martin luther king now living in ny retirement home. The woman who stabbed him spent the rest of her life institutionalized. June 14, 1916 march 7, 2015 was an africanamerican woman who attempted to assassinate the civil rights leader martin luther king, jr. How an assassination attempt affirmed mlks faith in. That was the day the sometime housekeeper and shortorder cook plunged an ivoryhandled, seveninch letter opener into the chest of martin luther king jr. Since first publishing documents about kings stabbing nearly 17 years ago, the smoking gun has intermittently tried to determine what became of the woman who nearly killed the civil rights leader. The 1958 stabbing that almost killed mlk years before his.
When king replied in the affirmative, curry said, ive been looking for. Amid the chaos and screaming, king remained conscious and calm as a blood stain spread on his white cotton shirt. While signing copies of the recently published book stride toward freedom. Curry, who was armed with a loaded pistol, opted to use a 7inch letter opener when she directly approached king, and pierced him in the chest. Why did that black woman stab martin luther king jr. A letter opener protruding from his chest, martin luther king, jr. A decade later, on the night before his assassination, he described the. The montgomery story in harlems blumsteins department.