In Harlem, New York, while signing copies of his first book, “Stride Toward Freedom,” Izola Ware Curry stabbed King with a letter opener between his heart and lung. He was taken to Harlem Hospital where his physician, Dr. Aubré D. Maynard, said, “If you had sneezed, your aorta would have been punctured and you would have drowned in your own blood.”

In response to Donald Trump's order banning DEI initiatives, the DIA has paused special event programs and related events, including for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.