Ava J. by Adam J., Harding Academy

It was just an ordinary day just like any other day today on this Thursday of April 4, 1968. I was just four years old at the time, and really had no care in the world. My daily routine was to go to school, come home, and play with neighbors. Life for me was already complicated because I did not understand much about the Civil Rights Movement. As I grew older, my knowledge started to expand and I came to understand it. When Martin Luther King came to Memphis, the town was buzzing about his arrival. This was an exciting time for my parents because they were talking about him all the time. Me being four, I just went with my parents opinions of him which helped me gain respect for him. I was outside playing with my neighbors when my parents told me to come inside at once. This confused me because I thought I did something wrong, but come to find out it was something greater. Martin Luther King was killed, and as I looked out my window the people in my neighborhood ran around in shock and disbelief. This was a trying time. I said nothing, and I did nothing. I was so scared at this point because I never seen this many people be so hysterical. Things changed the next day after Martin Luther King was shot. More people started to speak out, and as I watched on TV, there were more and more people protesting trying to keep hope alive for the Civil Rights Movement. There was also a curfew now. Riots broke out, which beefed up the police force presence. The city was just chaotic and in turmoil. The people wanted their opinions to be heard and I was amazed at how the people handled themselves. Martin Luther King was my hero because of how he worked for what he believed in and even became a martyr for it. If King was alive today, I believe that he would feel that his dream is half way being lived out because of the still racial injustices that has currently happened.