Fire destroys historic US church with ties to MLK

A historic Black church in Memphis, Tennessee caught fire early Monday morning and suffered significant damage.

The Clayborn Temple was the staging point for marches to City Hall, including a march led by Martin Luther King Jr on 28 March 1968, which turned violent when police and protesters clashed on Beale Street.

Before the fire, the church was undergoing a $25 million restoration that was slated to be completed in 2026. The fire is still under investigation, according to the Memphis Fire Chief.