Carolyn lived in Memphis, Tn and she attended Melrose High School. She was one of eight children and she was one of the eldest. Since she was one of the eldest, she often took on the role of one of her parents. Melrose was 10 miles from her house; she made it to school everyday by foot. On the weekends she would go to parties, downtown Memphis for shopping(by bus), or she would spend time with her large family. Her and her family also attended church regularly along with church activities. She had a good life socially, but there where still places she didn't feel accepted as an African- American. In comparison to the new world, she believes we have more opportunities as African-American. She also believes that the Civil Rights Era opened doors of equality to other races.
Carolyn remembered the day of Martin's death vividly. She stated that she was in the kitchen making dinner with her mother, which was something she did normally. Her and her mom would normally watch TV while cooking and that's how they received the news. She felt ashamed to live in Memphis at the time and she was angry and frustrated. Later that they, there was rioting and hate bashing because the people were upset. Some felt they lost their last hope of equality. But it didn't stop there. A 16 year-old boy was killed in Orange Mound. The tension was so thick you could cut through it.
When reflecting on King and his mission Carolyn stated that he was a great, respectable, caring, admiring, and did a lot for the people by fighting for equality. He was the voice for the people and represented them well. She also believes that he could've done more if he was still alive today.
She believes his mind and his message open the world's eyes. His life in evoked more people to step up and fight for their rights.A result of his death the world has changed tremendously and many people saw their wrongdoings and correcting them.
After her final words she stated that she felt Martin was a well respected man in the African-American community and then they depended on him to be their voices.and without marring the world would be what it is today.
In my perspective I believe the Martin Luther King was an exceptional human being and that showed extreme bravery. He gave the people a voice that they couldn't give themselves. Martin will never be forgotten and we can all learn from his life and his message and apply it to our lives, following in his footsteps making the world better for us all.