"Alright kids time to put the coloring pages away, we are going to start on our math lesson." I listen and observe as little hands and feet scurry to their backpacks hanging along the wall as they are eager to learn something new. The twelve years I have been working with and teaching kids have been some of my most cherished days. Some of the little boys remind me of my own two little ones at home. The duty of teaching is very rewarding and each day brings something new, but this particular day in the spring of 1968 was something especially new that would be remembered forever.
There was panic and there was unsureness floating around the city of Memphis. Everyone heard the news that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was in town. The man had very high ideas that so many people had differing opinions about; however, King's opinions and thoughts were heard out loud and would ring in the ears of Americans far longer than just this day. A coworker came into my room and whispered something that caught me completely off guard, "Dr. King had been shot."
I did not know what to do. I had the responsibility of multiple young children. I remained as calm as possible for the sake of the children. My coworker walked out of the room to make preparations for the early dismissals. It was clear that the program planned for tonight was going to be cancelled. "Alright kids," my mind and heart were racing, "we can put our math away for now. That concludes the lesson for today." Some kids happened to notice that the lesson was not nearly as long as it usually is but thankfully no one asked questions.
Parents suddenly started showing up to the kindergarten and day school and retrieving their kids to take home. The safety and security that has been felt for as long as I can remember was taken from us in a single second. Soon enough, the whole city was under a lockdown and no one was leaving their house. My husband was told to close down the hardware store early and get home. Before settling in for the long night, people invade the grocery stores stocking up on the essentials because it is uncertain how long the lockdown will last. Not much is said to anyone, the only thing that is known between everyone is the fact that we are no longer as safe as we have always felt.
The night seems darker and scarier than most nights. We could see on television that riots were taking place within the black community in downtown Memphis. My husband and I decide that we will send our boys to Arkansas to live with my parents as soon as possible while the unrest continues. I was sure after this day that Memphis would now be familiar to every person in the country; although, not in a positive way. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had great plans and high ideals, but since his death in Memphis, a negative spotlight has been placed on this city and will be on it for years to come.