In April 1968, following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., thousands attended the Friendship Rally at the Hollywood Bowl to mourn the devastating loss. Featuring appearances by Eartha Kitt, Richard Pryor, Barbra Streisand, Leonard Nimoy, Lou Rawls, and dozens more, the event was sponsored by King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Greater Los Angeles Urban League.

As attendee Steve Chase told the Los Angeles Times in 1996, “This was a solemn day, but it was also a day of solidarity with other human beings…There was a hum in the air, and people were moved by things and gravitated toward one another when something happened like the killing of Dr. King. Because we couldn’t make sense of it, we needed to be with others who shared the sense of uncertainty we felt.”

Fifty-three years later, we continue to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy and honor his life’s work of promoting equality, justice, and love.