Mr. Watson lived in Memphis TN in the 1960's. During that time the civil rights movement was very active. There was a lot of racial divide during that time. The majority of the police and those holding political office were mostly white. There was very little representation of the black community.
In 1968 I was drafted into the Army but volunteered for the U.S. Air Force instead. The racial division was very prominent and the sanitation strike of Memphis was in full effect. Schools were pretty much segregated and there were not a lot of opportunities in the job market for black people. Today, things are much different. There are black representation in all branches of political office. The director of police is a black man and there are many more opportunities for all races of people.
The day that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated was a very sad day. Civil rights marches were taking place and my dad and I participated in those marches. The National Guard with guns and tanks were throughout the city. It seemed like a war was about to take place. I did not really feel safe at the time. So much was going on with rioting and looting taking place. I was at home with my family when word came on the radio and television that Dr. King had been assassinated. I had anger and rage in my heart upon hearing the news. The same feeling seem to have existed throughout the community. Rioting took place in Memphis but not as much as it did in other parts of the country. A curfew was put in place and some signs of calm occurred.
My night after Dr. King was shot was a night of disbelief and hurt. The leader of the black community had been assassinated and was no longer with us. I was at home with my family. It was not safe to be on the streets of Memphis. Even though a curfew was in some people still violated the curfew and some looting and rioting occurred. The city was not at ease.
Originally I was not totally on board with Dr. King's non-violent movement. I was aware of all the pain, the beatings, getting sprayed with water hoses, dog bites, jail time, etc. and I felt that nothing would change with that approach. However, after his death, it seems as if everything changed. In many cases, the attitudes of white people seemed to have changed. It seemed like there was a sense of guilt from many in the white community that led to white people seeming to have more of a tolerance for black people. Many in the black community felt that this new found tolerance was more of just a way to pacify black people. Over time things did improve for the entire community. The sanitation strike was resolved but at a very tremendous price. One of the world's best was slain.