Bertha A. was a 54 year-old woman who lived during a time of discrimination & hate. She was 8 years old when Dr. King was assassinated. She lived in an old little house in Arkansas. Arkansas was a nice place to live. Her life in 1968 was normal until she heard about what was going on in Memphis. It disturbed her a lot. She heard about how segregation was bad in Memphis, TN. She felt that everyone was equal. No matter what age, gender, or race, until she heard about Martin Luther King. Bertha thought that Martin Luther King was a great and noble man. She remembered she watched his, ”I Have a Dream" speech live on television. She loved how he wanted people of all races to love each other no matter what. People in Arkansas were changing, they protested throughout the streets for African Americans. But one day, something shocked her. On April 4"‘, 1968 Martin Luther King was assassinated. When she heard this, she was helping her mother cook. She heard it on the radio. Bertha wondered how life would be without Martin Luther King. People in Memphis
Read MoreCora G. by Triston G., Overton High School
Growing up here in Memphis has had its ups and downs for me. I’m 32 years old, trying to take care of my five children; I hope that one day they’ll appreciate all I do for them. It’s a struggle living in a segregated community, where it seems like every black person is getting used to being beaten up because of their skin color. Thank God for a man named Dr. Martin Luther King, who's dream is for all races to be equal.
Read MoreJohnnie Mae. P. by Morgan P., Overton High School
Almost fifty years ago, the world lost its most prominent leader in the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Ir. He was a véry influential in his pursuit for racial equality in the United States. Johnnie Mae Perkins, of Memphis, Tennessee, reminisces on the power of his voice and the impact of his words. Various media samples broadcasted across the world showed passionate response to civil injustices and King's assassination. A discussion with Ms. P. gives insight on the citizens of the time, and how some reacted to the tragedies that took place in 1968.
Read MoreVirginia D. by Amore' D., Overton High School
The King has been shot,” the television blared from the living room. I paused to make sure l heard. "Big News tonight the King has been shot!” l could not believe it. It could not be true. “Virginial" my husband yelled as he entered the house. “Did you hear the news the news?" l answered, "Yes, apparently it's the only news to be heard, every news channel is talking about it,” l said as l flipped through the rest of the channels.
Read MoreCarl W. by Alexia W., Overton High School
In 1968, Carl W. was only 2 years old. He was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. During this time, Memphis was full of racial tensions. Whites and Blacks were divided by a racist society. In school, teachers were only teaching about American history, but not African American history. Blacks could only go to places that were for Black people. Whites Went to things that were for Whites only. Even if blacks wanted to ride on the bus, they had to sit at the back. We could never sit in the front or we would be kicked off the bus.
Read MoreMichael B. by Genesis J., Overton High School
”Goodbye momma!" I yelled to my mother from the front door, while gathering my college textbooks and heading out to the bus stop. "Goodbye son," softly said my mom as she gathered the laundry from the room that I shared with my brothers. My dad traveled behind me to his car in an effort to make it on time to his job. During my brisk walk to the bus stop I noticed that my quiet neighborhood was full of its typical activity. Mothers were waving to their children as they skipped off to school. Fathers were arriving home from their night jobs or hurrying off to work. I glanced at my watch to estimate how much longer the bus would be. lust as I looked down the bus pulled up and I was headed to Memphis State. While I scanned over my notes for the Biology test that day I overheard people discussing the arrival of Martin Luther King and couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow had in store.
Read MoreDannie H. by Alicia G., Overton High School
In 1968 Dr. Dannie D. H. was 29 years of age. He lived on 2007 Larry Dr. He remembers curfews where he couldn't buy any beer, and timers were very hard. The things that stood out most to him about living in Memphis were that there was strength in the Black community that came from being Black and proud. A typical day for Mr. H. was delivering packages in the 38111 and 38117 areas in east Memphis.
Read MoreSarah Ann O. and Lucille N. by Ti'Auyna H., Overton High School
April 3rd , 1968, Sarah Ann
It was normal for Sarah to go to school everyday and make good grades. She understood that people that were not her skin color did not get an education like she did so she took advantage of that. Usually when she got home she would look out her window and today was no different. She hears the chants and watches the crowd of Negroes protesting as usual. She hears them so much she got use to hearing them everyday. Some nights she would hear her father come in and say things like “Honey, those there Negroes just won't give up. We will just have to beat them since some have built the courage to talk back.
Read MoreJoyce L. by Anthony L., Overton High School
]oyce L. is my grandmother. She lived during the time of the civil rights movement. Around the time of 1968 she was about 18 years old. At the time, my grandmother was in both high school and nursing school. She said that during that time things were really difficult for African Americans. There were all kinds of prejudices in Memphis and it was a very segregated city. Segregation, in a way, stood out the most in the city. She recalled a number of times having to sit in restaurants basements just to eat a meal or even sitting in the worst part of movie theaters. However, things looked like they were going to change when a man named Martin Luther King Ir. came onto the scene.
Read MoreMr. S. by Julian A., Overton High School
Mr. S. lived in Whitehaven and only white liven in Whitehaven during the 60s. . He was only in the 9th grade when Dr.King was assassinated. He remembered they closed down school because of the assassination. It was complete chaos. He couldn't remember if he was 15 or 16 when it happened. He remembers images and sound of people screaming and those cried. A lot of people that were sad and were on the scene when it happened.
Read MoreJasmine T. by Cristian G., Overton High School
The person that I interviewed is Jasmine T.. I interviewed her about Martin Luther King's assassination and this is what she told me. She lived in Memphis TN from the time she was eight years old. The first question I asked her was, "What was it like?” and she said ”at the time, it was hard for African Americans because the white people discriminated based on color. The white people think the black people were only made to work for the white people.” Then, I asked her to describe her life in 1968. She said, "I was eight years old in 1968 and I lived with my mother and father.
Read MoreWilson by Trip C., St. Agnes - St. Dominic
Life for Wilson in the l960s was simple and happy. Wilson lived in Memphis, Tennessee in a small neighborhood in a nice and cozy one-story house. During the l960’s there was much racism, and African Americans were protesting and demanding equal rights. Wilson remembers most of the life changing events that took place in this period of time. The black sanitation workers were protesting to be treated equally and to have better Working conditions. African-Americans wanted change, and they wanted change right then. One man that stood out for all African Americans was Dr. Martin Luther King jr. Dr. King would soon change how African Americans were treated, and his march for freedom would be woven throughout the south. Dr.King was a great man who did not fight against whites with violence; he only peacefully “fought against them with words,”,. The following events that took place would change the future America forever.
Read MoreCharlie N. by Ruth Ellen B., St. Agnes - St. Dominic
In 1968, Charlie N. was thirty-one, living in Memphis as a non married lawyer. He had been in Memphis for five years in a small apartment in East Memphis on Walnut Grove. Mr. Newman had been living in Washington DC, when his father developed heart troubles, and he was called home to Memphis. He was excited to come back to Memphis, for it was full of people involved in government. At the time several African American sanitation workers were complaining about how they were being treated and the conditions they were given to work in. The African American workers had begun to go on strike about how unfairly they were being treated, and Mr. Newman was negotiating with the city to try and increase their pay and conditions. The mayor, during this time, was trying to solve the problems caused by segregation, but was truly struggling with the problem and had no idea what to do.
Read MoreMrs. M. by Penelope B., St. Agnes - St. Dominic
At the time, living in East Memphis in the l960’s was the calmest and most peaceful time, until 1968. Living in Memphis at the age of eighteen was not the easiest time of the decade. Years before, the streets were calm, safe, and you could ride your bike at night without getting kidnapped. People would go on walks during the day. Mrs. M.'s parents were really prejudice about the African American people. Her parents did not want those people to be around their daughter. She never went to school with them because of the segregation. There was no crime and barely any poverty. Young Mrs. M. lived on the corner of Hollywood and Chelsea. Everything was always very peaceful and very quiet. Mrs. M.’s life in 1968 was a normal as any other eighteen year old girl. She was a freshman at the University of Memphis. The University of Memphis was Where she met her husband. After six months of dating, Mr. M. had gotten drafted to fight in the Vietnam war.
Read MoreBo W. by Ainsley H., St. Agnes - St. Dominic
The early months of 1968 were very hectic for Officer Bo W. When the sanitation workers started the strike Officer Bo had to work 12 hour shifts, seven days a week, for two months straight. At the time he was married and had 2 kids. He missed his family a lot when he was working these extra shifts. Mr. Bo has lived in Memphis most of his life, but went to seek out more opportunities in Crown Point Indiana when he was 16. He moved back to Memphis after he graduated high school. From there he applied for and became a Memphis police officer when he was 21. He was living a great, but busy life in 1963.
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Linda C. by Taylor K., St. Agnes - St. Dominic
In 1968 Linda C., now Linda K., lived with her parents in Cromwell Parkway village area. She had moved to Memphis from Philadelphia in 1963, about five years before. It was a nice neighborhood at the time, in fact, Memphis in the 60’s was nationally known as the “cleanest city” in the country. Having moved from a big northern city where most people lived in “row houses,” with small back yards, if they even had one; to Linda, this was like living in a suburban area- there were lots of trees, a nice green city, and back then, people would even leave their homes with the doors unlocked. The mayor of Memphis in 1968 was Henry Loeb; so just to put things into perspective, it is completely different from the Memphis we all know as of today as being one of the worst cities in crime.
Read MoreValarie C. by Justin W., St. Agnes - St. Dominic
Valarie C. was a ten year old girl when Martin Luther King Jr. died. She lived in the Clayborn Homes Projects. It was a closed living community. Everyone helped each other in the 1960s. Valarie enjoyed that everyone was nice. Then the day Martin Luther King Jr. died, everyone was sad and angry. It was chaos.
Read MoreArnold by Nailah J., St. Agnes - St. Dominic
Segregation was an uprising issue in the l960’s. Although some people were struck right in the middle of it, they were not aware of it, until the year 1968, when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Racial tension was stronger then it had ever been before. Arnold was 18 years old in 1968. He lived in an area of Memphis called the Orange Mound community on Button Street. Orange Mound was a nice, quiet, residential neighborhood at the time. He along with many others were not aware of the segregation, marches and boycotts, that were happening in some of the southern states.
Read MoreHelen H. by Rebecca C., St. Agnes - St. Dominic
Growing up poor during the 1960s did not make life easy for Helen H. Helen remembers vividly how difficult it was for her family to earn enough money to support them. Racial divides among blacks and Whites also made life, during her childhood, challenging. Going to school on Mondays after Dr. King was shot was not a priority for her. Every Monday after Dr. King was shot was called Black Monday. The black kids would not go to school.The ones who did go on that day got in fights. Not only would they get in fights with white people but with black people, too. Due to this unfair treatment the black people would break into stores and sometimes set them on fire.
Read MorePatricia E. by Rachel H., St. Agnes - St. Dominic
Life was rough in the 1960s for Patricia E., a young African American lady. She lived in Claiborne Homes which was a public housing project, and she was one of five children. Everything was separated then such as water fountains, restaurants, and bathrooms. In that time period, there was very little integration. Once, her mother went to purchase shoes for her family at a nice store called Goldsmith’s, which was very popular store in the 60’s. African Americans were not even allowed to enter the store, so her mother had to trace their feet to tell the store clerk their sizes and hand the tracings to the store clerk who would go and bring the shoes to them. Blacks could only enter the movie theatre through a back entrance whereas the white people could use the front entrance. She was supposed to sit behind the last white person on a bus. Frequently, rude, disrespectful white people would sit in the back of the bus which would force her to stand. Although it has harsh and difficult, this was the way of life for Miss E., but it taught her how to survive.
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