In 1968 the United States was in racial Turmoil. White people and black people lived separately, and often knew little about the daily concerns of the other. My grandfather, Mr. Rimer, lived in Whitehaven, a train track away from a black neighborhood. Black people stayed to the West of the railroad tracks and white people lived to the East of the railroad track. White people looked forward to nice homes, fair wages, and a promising career. Black people earned low wages, broken and intolerable homes, and a future exactly the same. Many black people worked for white employers. Few black people went to college and many didn't get through high school. My grandad had a black and white tv, gas was 34 cents a gallon, and he could ride his horse through the fields of Whitehaven. Black people and white people did not eat together in restaurants, they didn't drink from the same water fountains, and did not mingle together.
In 1966 my grandad married and my mother was born in 1968. A typical day for him was to go to college at Christian Brothers College and then to work at his dad's printing office. He put himself though college and worked through the summer at his second job, loading box cars at Kellogg's. Everywhere he worked there were only white people. Today at Kellogg's most employees are black and have a union to represent them which demands fair wages and work hours.
The days before Dr. King died, Memphis sanitation workers had gone on strike asking for better wages and more reasonable work hours. Many black people were angry over the unfair working conditions of the sanitation workers. Dr. King came to Memphis to support the efforts of the sanitation workers. Many white people were afraid of the anger of black people. The people of Memphis were fearful of race riots and break -ins of homes and businesses. When Dr. King came to the city, tension rose to an even higher level. My grandad did not know of Dr. King's death until the next morning. While driving to work the next morning and listening to the radio, he heard of Dr. King's death. He was in shock, was fearful and anxious about what the next few days would bring. People stayed in their homes unless they needed to get out. They were worried that black people were so angry that they might break in and kill white people. In fact, there were some race riots in the main parts of the city. The National Guard was called in to keep peace in the city.
The following days, everything slowly returned to a calm state. Sanitation workers won their rights for better pay and better hours. White people became less afraid. There was a big push for equal rights. Whites felt more compassion toward black people. The government began passing laws to further black people's rights. Schools became desegregated, restaurants opened to all races, and businesses began hiring with less discrimination.