Myles W. by Braylin W., Harding Academy

During this time of history, I was living in Memphis. There was a lot of protests and burning buildings. This was usual for this era. This was a time when Memphis started to become integrate. Blacks were gaining freedom. In 1968 before integration, I worked with only Black students and teachers at W.P. Ware High School. Now it is integrated to the point where blacks and whites are growing closer in ratio.  Blacks are gaining freedom. When I heard about the news, I was driving home from work and I did my occasional listening of the radio. I never thought I would hear those five words" Martin Luther King was assassinated". It was just devastating. Due to my devastation, I pulled over and just contemplated the situation. I was alone at the time. So I just sat and thought about the tragedy. While listening to the radio, it said that riots were ensuing. City leaders asked for a peaceful protest but that didn't prevail. Next, I spent some time at a friends house to watch the news. The city was just fallen apart. People were in the streets causing trouble. Memphis became a very tense city. People were afraid that if someone would shot a godly like him they would shot anyone. Even through his death, I thought highly of Martin Luther King. He was an strong minded individual that believed in non violence. His act of bravery woke up America. Life changed for the best patter his death. Black gained privileges. For example, schools, jobs, and transportation became integrated. People didn't act differently at first but they viewed problems differently. Many people became afraid for their lives. The attitude of all races changed during this time. Many people loved Martin Luther King for his gentle and caring heart. This was a turning point for greater opportunities for black people. Due to this era, we've had our first black president, Supreme Court justice leader , superintendent, and etc.