Times have changed since the 1960s. In Memphis during that time period, many significant event had obviously taken place to form the society Americans live in today. Martin Luther King Jr. had spent a considerable amount of time giving speeches and giving people a view of what was happening in the nation. His assassination caused major rebellions and riots in downtown Memphis. However, more importantly, people had gained the courage to start speaking up and taking action on the topic of civil rights after the death.
At 250 Rhode Island in Memphis, Tennessee in the 1960s, Mrs. H. had witnessed a first-hand account of the events downtown. At the time, there was neither electricity nor plumbing. Residents had to kill their own chickens and wash their own clothes. While there is a plethora of automobiles today, none of Mrs. H.'s neighbors had a car. Grocery stores were rare as well; her family had to grow crops themselves. "Our backyard was our grocery store," she said. Life in school was quite different from school today as well. She continued, "There was no one at school you really didn't know. Teachers were your aunts, your classmates were brothers, sisters, and cousins. It was a lot of fun back then." After that she explained how prejudice around the neighborhood. "After paying a fare to get in the trolley bus, you still had to sit at the back. The front seats were reserved for white people. When buying food at a restaurant, you had to use the black door. You weren't allowed to use the water fountain either." Mrs. H. said. Communication was not as sophisticated back in the day as compared to today. "There was no television until I was twelve years old. The television shows were fifteen minutes long," she said.
Regarding the assassination of Dr. King, Mrs. H. told me that she admired him. She was not oblivious to politics at her age and was aware of events that were going on. "I loved his speeches," she said. "He would speak steadily so you would understand every word he was saying." After his death, there were riots and a lot of uproar. "My family was glued to the radio. I heard that he was shot with a rifle. Although he was shot dead at the time, we knew there was no hope," said Mrs. H. There was no school the next day. Teachers were screaming. The entire city was locked down. "I remember that the sky extremely dark after King's death," she said. "The only time I remember the sky being so dark and the stranger weather was around John F. Kennedy's assassination." Mrs. H. was sorry that King had to lose his life at a young age. However, things started charging after his death. People became aware of what was happening. They started speaking up and taking action for civil rights. "You can feel the change,"said Mrs. H., after his death. It was certainly a beginning that lead to a new and improved society, with equal rights to all men.