This iconic image – the mortally wounded Martin Luther King on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel – was made by a South African journalist, Joe Louw.Mr. Louw recalled the events of that evening for a 1971 record album by Walter Cronkite – “I Can Hear It Now/The Sixties.” (Downloadable from Amazon and iTunes.)
Click here to hear the words of Joe Louw on my Vox blog.
Louw died of cancer in 2004 after a long and fruitful career in the South African media.
There is more to the story of this historic photograph. Memphis-based photographer Ernest C. Withers, renowned for his coverage of the civil rights movement, said he’s the one who developed Joe Louw’s film.
Withers, who died last year, said this in an interview with broadcaster Robert A. Franklin of Arkansas State University.
Click here for a 1-minute audio clip on my Vox blog. Sounds like Mr. Withers is trying to hog the credit a little bit, to me.
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