Evelyn Johnson lived in Memphis, TN up until she was 18 years old. Back then, black people weren't allowed to vote. They were restricted from going to certain places and had designated seating areas at restaurants and on the buses. There was also a higher tension between races. What stood out the most for her when she was growing up, was the racial division. Jobs were not offered to blacks like they were whites. Political matters weren't as open as they were to whites either. But those were just the negatives. The positives were that there was a more peaceful existence, less crime.
Ms. Johnson was a new graduate, it was her first year being out of high school. She was a person that had opportunities to travel out of state. In fact, she lived in Washington D.C. during that time, so she had experienced life outside of Memphis. It was enlightening for her to gain more job opportunities, regardless of the color of her skin. She felt that it enhanced her life to know how to go out and be an independent person without fear of rejection. Other than that, to her it was just an ordinary life for a person starting out fresh in young adulthood. She says that today, there are way more advances for educating yourself. Our last problem would be concerning your ethnicity. Today, you would be most concerned with just living your life and being a good citizen. Income levels are apparently much higher today, too.
"The day that he was assassinated, it was a shock. A total shock. Unexpected." Even if he had given his last speech at that church (which was a very compelling speech) it was still a huge shock. It was one of the worst days in history for her, for others. A very sad day, very emotional with all concern. She don't know where she was at the time besides by that phone. She was just shocked. Dismayed. Upset. She says she wasn't angry then, but just plain shocked. Something you would expect from a person who just heard about something horrible happening to somebody who was just trying to help the world. It was a very heartfelt thing for her. The people around her soon began to riot though. They were said to have taken to the street and just start rioting, acting violent. Throughout the night, they had to call in the troops to get people off the street. They had to call in the marshal law to keep the people off the streets and from sneaking out at night.
Ms. Johnson was in her house the night King was shot. Her mother wouldn't let her go outside. She wasn't planning to go out either, not with everybody rioting and tearing up things. People were forced to stay in their houses all night. The only thing that you heard were the sirens running after people that weren't. People just weren't allowed out of their homes. Everyone had to stay in their homes or they'd be locked up.
Ms. Johnson thought King was a great speaker and he was definitely about the people and what he believed in. They had had a garbage strike and it had been going on for so long. King suddenly came to the city to speak on behalf of the garbage person which ended the strike. She was sad that he had gotten killed and murdered like that. She was just remembering his speech, his last speech when he had said that he had been to the mountain top and that he had seen the coming of The Lord. She felt that it was a very powerful speech that just made somebody realize how serious what he just said was. He said he wasn't afraid of no man because his eyes had seen the coming of The Lord.
For Ms. Johnson, life changed a whole lot after his death. People acted differently and they viewed problems differently. She thinks that people's attitudes totally changed after that.
Ms. Johnson wanted to add that since that time and now, with the way things are, she hopes that no other person in America will ever have to experience what went on during the mourning of the King. It was an unjustly cause. She says that everyone shouldn't be judged by their skin, but be treated by the content of their character. And after the coming of Obama, she believes the years will get better and better for all people.