In 1967, Steve R. moved to Memphis from Indiana after getting his college degree.He was surprised by the culture difference between the two places, but he was determined to integrate with the Memphis society. Many people he met were good people, but there was one downfall that each of them shared: they were completely against racial equality. Where he lived in Indiana, this issue was never as prevalent as it was in Memphis; this "new idea" of equal treatment was spearheaded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Mr. R. respected Dr. Luther, but many people he knew were against him and wanted him to leave Memphis. Until he heard the mountaintop speech, Steve was ready to embrace the message and try to help his friends see the error in their ways, so the next day he was ready to go out and tell them about there misjudgement; then he heard about the shooting. He was in disbelief. On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot through his jaw; the bullet severed his spinal cord, and he was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital. Just one day after the speech that changed Steve's life, the man that gave it was killed by someone just like the first people he met in Memphis. After the shooting, he decided to stay home because he feared the insueing riots that would surely ravage the streets. Today, almost 50 years later, Steve works in the oil business, and he still remembers the day when he decided to change his opinions on racial equality.