W&L to Join Nationwide Bell-Tolling on 50th Anniversary of the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Washington and Lee University will join museums, schools and churches around the world in tolling bells to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the 50th anniversary of his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee.
Beginning at 7:05 p.m. on April 4, the bell in Lee Chapel will toll 39 times to represent the 39 years of King’s life. Members of the community are invited to gather on the lawn in front of Washington Hall for a moment of reflection as the bell tolls.
The MLK50 Bell Toll is being organized by the National Civil Rights Museum, as a way for the nation to acknowledge King’s loss, as well as his significant contributions as a clergyman, a nonviolence activist and a leader of the civil rights movement.
The bells will first ring at the National Civil Rights Museum at 6:01 p.m. CST. Bells will chime in the city of Memphis at 6:03 p.m. CST, 6:05 p.m. CST nationally and 6:07 p.m. CST internationally.
