In 1968 Graden K. resided with his family at the corner of Patterson and Deloach which is now where the University of Memphis' business school stands. Graden had just accepted a new job as a Chemistry professor at the University of Memphis. Compared to today, the city of Memphis would seem to be a completely different city: the attitude towards blacks was terrible. The blacks were poor and were only allowed to work menial jobs; as a result, they had undesirable housing. However, during that time there was one black millionaire. One of the main conflicts in Memphis at that time was the working conditions of the garbage men who were blacks. Trying to solve the issue of low pay, the men went on a nonviolent protest to set an example under the leadership of Martin Luther King. On the day of King's assassination, Graden K. walked home from work, had sung in the choir until five o'clock, and played basketball with his son, Howard. After many games of horse, the pair were told of the news that was heard on the television by Mrs. K. Immediately, they went inside to watch the news being improvised since there little known. That night, the city, transportation systems, and roads were on lock down. Graden K. decided to go on a walk despite the city's panic. While walking, he noticed there was no traffic, but later Mr. K. saw a light coming towards him. Graden hid behind a tree with his eye on the light to see what it was: there was an army jeep coming down the road. The university had placed posts set in concrete with chains around them in front of all doors in case of more violence. The posts are still there today. Daysafter the assassination, Mr. K. talked "over the fence post" with his neighbor whose father was chief of Memphis police. The man said that his father and the station were prepared for violence since Martin Luther King had arrived. The police were amazed at how the snipped had escaped Memphis. The police, to this day, have no clue on how he managed to clear the city. With King dead, some people did open their hearts and minds towards blacks, but they did not act differently. The change had to be slow, and it was to be the children that make the difference. Graden K. had grown up in Murffeesboro, Tennessee, and was a paperboy at age of seventeen. He had grown up with segregation. He still remembers the paper heading that said that the Supreme Court had ruled that segregation was unconstitutional in May of 1954. Even after growing up separated from blacks, Graden believed treating people differently because of skin color was wrong, and he believed that Mr. King was correct in his decision to use no violence in their cause. In March of 1968, his family purchased a house off of Walnut Grove so that the children could attend East High school. A year later, the family moved to Massachusetts; however, they only stayed there for two years. When they moved back to Memphis, buffering had accrued for schools to intergrade. Graden did not move his kids to private schools so that they could learn to be with blacks.