Bevel witnessed King 's assassination on April 4 , 1968 , in Memphis , Tennessee . He reminded SCLC 's executive board and staff that evening that King had left " marching orders " that , if anything should happen to him , he intended for Ralph Abernathy to take his place as SCLC 's Chairman . Bevel opposed SCLC 's next action , the 1968 Poor People 's Campaign , but served as its Director of Nonviolent Education . Some time after that , he left the SCLC . His behavior was reported as bizarre at times
King 's assassination
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
James Bevel