As the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., sparked rebellions across the US, Sister Koko describes her experience of the uprising in DC and how King’s death personally affected her.
Show Notes
She explains the underlying entrenched and long-standing systems of racial oppression, especially poverty, that fueled the outpouring of violence and destruction in April of 1968. She takes us through the streets of DC overrun with troops and the fractured infrastructure that attempted to quell the rebellion. Throughout it all, Sister Koko persisted in her community organizing and her work with Stokely Carmichael in SNCC. But the federal government saw her activism as a threat, a radical for the FBI to keeps tabs on, which led to a suspicious infiltrator and a raid on Sister Koko’s apartment that uncovered a closet of firearms.
What is Porchtales?
Porchtales is a new podcast network by the Humanities Council of Washington, DC, where listeners get to experience the District through the eyes of those who make up the fabric of our nation's capital. From the history, to the culture, to the arts, each show we'll dig deeper to learn and celebrate the unique experiences that shape this fascinating city. This season is made possible due to funding from National Endowment for the Humanities and their “A More Perfect Union” initiative commemorating the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Any views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of HumanitiesDC or the project’s funders.