On April 4 , 1968 , Kennedy learned of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and gave a heartfelt impromptu speech in Indianapolis 's inner city , calling for a reconciliation between the races . The address was the first time Kennedy spoke publicly about his brother 's killing . Riots broke out in 60 cities in the wake of King 's death , but not in Indianapolis , a fact many attribute to the effect of this speech . Kennedy addressed the City Club of Cleveland the next day , on April 5 , 1968 , delivering the famous On the Mindless Menace of Violence speech . He attended King 's funeral , accompanied by Jacqueline and Ted Kennedy . He was described as being the " only white politician to hear only cheers and applause . " Kennedy won the Indiana Democratic primary on May 7 and the Nebraska primary on May 14 but lost the Oregon primary to McCarthy on May 28 . If he could defeat McCarthy in the California primary , the leadership of the campaign thought , he would knock McCarthy out of the race and set up a one-on-one against Hubert Humphrey at the Chicago national convention in August
Chicago national convention
1968 Democratic National Convention
Robert F. Kennedy