Historic Memphis Church Where MLK Gave Final Speech Receives $1.2M Renovation Grant

Funds will preserve Mason Temple, a key site of the Civil Rights Movement.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 9:18am

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A serene, photorealistic painting of the exterior of a historic church building in Memphis, Tennessee, with warm sunlight casting long shadows across the facade and surrounding trees. The image conveys a sense of reverence and timelessness, capturing the significance of this site as a key location in the Civil Rights Movement.The upcoming $1.2 million renovation of Mason Temple, the Memphis church where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final speech, will preserve a hallowed site of the Civil Rights Movement.Memphis Today

Mason Temple, the Memphis church where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final speech the night before his assassination, will undergo a $1.2 million renovation funded by a federal grant. The upgrade is part of a nearly $18 million package for historic preservation projects in the city, including $3.1 million to restore Clayborn Temple, the staging area for the 1968 sanitation workers strike that brought King to Memphis.

Why it matters

The two churches being renovated are located near the Lorraine Motel, where King was killed, and serve as important landmarks of the Civil Rights Movement. Preserving these sites helps honor King's legacy and educate future generations about the struggle for racial justice.

The details

The $1.2 million federal grant will fund long-term facility improvements and technology infrastructure upgrades at Mason Temple, where King delivered his famous 'I've Been to the Mountaintop' speech on the eve of his assassination. The church, which serves as the world headquarters for the Church Of God in Christ, was completed in 1945 after the original was destroyed by fire.

  • King delivered his final speech at Mason Temple on April 3, 1968, the night before he was killed.
  • A memorial service for Tyre Nichols was held at Mason Temple in January 2023.
  • The $1.2 million renovation grant is expected to be announced at a news conference on Monday, April 13, 2026.

The players

Martin Luther King Jr.

The renowned civil rights leader who delivered his final speech at Mason Temple in Memphis on the eve of his assassination in 1968.

Church Of God in Christ

The religious organization that owns and operates Mason Temple, which serves as its world headquarters.

Steve Cohen

A Democratic U.S. Representative from Memphis who first announced the $1.2 million renovation grant for Mason Temple in February 2026.

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What they’re saying

“I've seen the Promised Land. … I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.”

— Martin Luther King Jr.

“It's a tin roof, so that's banging. There's rafters up there above us, and the rafters are blowing with the wind and hitting each other and hitting the walls from the fierceness of the wind and the rain.”

— Rev. James Lawson, Civil Rights Activist

“Ministers, men were crying.”

— Rev. Jesse Jackson

What’s next

More details about the renovation plans and timeline are expected to be announced at the Monday news conference with U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen and Church Of God in Christ leaders.

The takeaway

Preserving historic sites like Mason Temple, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final speech, is crucial to honoring the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and educating future generations about the ongoing struggle for racial justice.