Jan. 30, 1956

Martin Luther King Jr. at a press conference in March 1964. Credit: U.S. Library of Congress

As Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the pulpit, leading a mass meeting during the Montgomery bus boycott, his home was bombed. His wife and 10-week-old baby escaped unharmed. Many gathered on his lawn, angered by this attack. 

“If you have weapons, take them home. He who lives by the sword will perish by the sword,” he told them. “We want to love our enemies. I want you to love our enemies. Be good to them. This is what we must live by. We must meet hate with love.” 

He reassured them the movement would continue: 

“If I am stopped, our work will not stop. For what we are doing is right. What we are doing is just. And God is with us.” 

No one was ever prosecuted for the bombing.

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The stories of investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell have helped put four Klansmen and a serial killer behind bars. His stories have also helped free two people from death row, exposed injustices and corruption, prompting investigations and reforms as well as the firings of boards and officials. He is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a longtime member of Investigative Reporters & Editors, and a winner of more than 30 other national awards, including a $500,000 MacArthur “genius” grant. After working for three decades for the statewide Clarion-Ledger, Mitchell left in 2019 and founded the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting.