Robert F. Kennedy and the 1968 Indiana Primary [Paperback]

On April 4, 1968, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., arrived in Indiana to campaign for the Indiana Democratic presidential primary. As Kennedy boarded his flight from an appearance in Muncie to Indianapolis, he learned that civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had been shot outside his hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. While on the plane, Kennedy heard the news that King had died. Despite warnings from Indianapolis police that they could not guarantee Kennedy's safety, and brushing off concerns from his own staff, Kennedy decided to proceed with plans to address an outdoor rally to be held in the heart of the city's African American community. On that cold and windy evening, Kennedy broke the news of King's death in an impassioned, extemporaneous speech on the need for compassion in the face of violence. It has proven to be one of the great speeches in American political history.
This compelling book reveals what brought the politician to Indiana that day and explores the characters and events of the 1968 Indiana Democratic presidential primary in which the underdog Kennedy had a decisive victory.

Boomhower offers a compelling look at a brief few weeks in 1968 when Hoosiers found themselves at the center of a dynamic struggle over a Presidential nomination and the future direction of our nation. Along the way, he gives readers insight into the tensions, tragedy and emotions of a singular momentSenator Robert Kennedy's remarks in Indianapolis just hours after Dr. Martin Luther King had been shotand provides a deeper understanding of one of the more significant events in our nation's long, contentious civil rights journey.You do not have to be from Indiana to read this book. Insights on politics and electioneering in the United States abound.

Contents
Acknowledgments

1. A Landmark for Peace
2. The Decision
3. The Governor
4. The Speech
5. The Campaign
6. The Voters Speak
7. The Train

Appendix: Robert F. Kennedy's Speeló!