Remembering Owensboro's ties to Martin Luther King Jr.

TOPSHOT – The civil rights leader Martin Luther King (C) waves to supporters 28 August 1963 on the Mall in Washington DC (Washington Monument in background) …

TOPSHOT – The civil rights leader Martin Luther King (C) waves to supporters 28 August 1963 on the Mall in Washington DC (Washington Monument in background) during the “March on Washington”. – King said the march was “the greatest demonstration of freedom in the history of the United States.” Martin Luther King was assassinated on 04 April 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. James Earl Ray confessed to shooting King and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. King’s killing sent shock waves through American society at the time, and is still regarded as a landmark event in recent US history. AFP PHOTO (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

by: Aaron Chatman

Posted: Jan 16, 2023 / 06:40 PM CST

Updated: Jan 16, 2023 / 06:40 PM CST

OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) — While well known, not everyone is aware the Tri-State shares a direct connection to the late and great Martin Luther King Jr.

Owensboro native Moneta Sleet Jr. met Dr. King while covering the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s and was known for his decades of work as photographer for Ebony magazine.

Moneta was the first African-American man to win a Pulitzer Prize, which he was awarded for taking the famous photograph of Coretta Scott King at Dr. King’s funeral.

The RiverPark Center will be sharing Moneta’s journey on February 24 and 25 in their first “Through Sleet’s Eyes Festival”. Organizers say the event honors his accomplishments and remembers his story. The festival will be free and open to the public.

UP NEXT: S everal local events honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.