Robert F. Kennedy's speech on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

On April 4, 1968, United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York delivered an improvised speech several hours after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Kennedy, who was campaigning to earn the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, made his remarks while in Indianapolis, Indiana, after speaking at two Indiana universities earlier in the day.

Robert F. Kennedy would be also assassinated two months after his speech, while campaigning for presidential nomination at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

Despite fears of riots and concerns for his safety, Kennedy went ahead with plans to attend a rally at 17th and Broadway in the heart of Indianapolis's African-American ghetto.

Instead of the rousing campaign speech they expected, Kennedy offered brief, impassioned remarks for peace that are considered to be one of the great public addresses of the modern era.

[6] At Notre Dame's Stepan Center, a crowd of approximately 5,000 heard Kennedy speak on poverty in America and the need for better-paying jobs.

According to reporter John J. Lindsay, Kennedy "seemed to shrink back as though struck physically" and put his hands to his face, saying "Oh, God.

"[8] In Indianapolis the news of King's death caused concern among representatives from Kennedy's campaign and city officials, who feared for his safety and the possibility of a riot.

[4] After talking with reporters at the Indianapolis airport, Kennedy canceled a stop at his campaign headquarters and continued on to the rally site, where a crowd had gathered to hear him speak.

He empathized with the audience by referring to the assassination of his brother, United States President John F. Kennedy, by a white man.

[18] Despite the fact the crowd which Kennedy spoke to in Indianapolis was only estimated to be 2,500 people, the speech was credited with boosting his image in the state of Indiana.

[24] In 2018, the audio of the speech was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

[25] A Ripple of Hope, a documentary on the speech and the events surrounding it, was produced by Covenant Productions at Anderson University and released in 2008.