Martin Luther King Jr’s last words were to musician Ben Branch, who was scheduled to perform that night at an event King was going to attend:
“Ben, make sure you play Take My Hand, Precious Lord in the meeting tonight. Play it real pretty.”
Minutes later he was shot. He never regained consciousness.
Take My Hand, Precious Lord was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s favorite song, and he often invited gospel singer Mahalia Jackson to sing it at civil rights rallies to inspire the crowds; at his request she sang it at his funeral in April 1968.
I don’t have any commentary, but I will leave you with this video. May he rest in peace.
You can read more about the origins of Take My Hand, Precious Lord on its Wikipedia Page.