Nancy J. was thirty four in the year 1968. At the time,she lived on Peg Lane in East Memphis with her husband and two boys. Nancy remembers rotating in her east Memphis vicinity, oblivious to much tension in her city. She said, "I did not confront any tension personally in the area I resided in."
The typical day for Mrs. J. consisted of sending her husband off to work downtown at the First Tennessee Bank and then taking her children to school. Once her morning routine was complete Nancy taught afternoon kindergarten at the University of Memphis. Unlike today, Mrs. J. remembers the population was not as diverse, and the city seemed like a smaller town. She remembers standing in yards talking to neighbors more back then.
Nancy Jones felt shocked when she heard the news of Martin Luther King Jr.'s death. She could believe it happened in Memphis. Mrs. J. was concerned that the nation would look down on Memphis. She felt "embarrassment for the nation to see Memphis as the place it happened." When she heard the news, she remembers being at home. "The news was all hyped up over the incident." Throughout the day her husband checked up on her to see if she was okay and safe, and to tell her he too was safe downtown. After the incident everyone wanted to stay close to home and lay low.
Nancy J. wanted to be with her family, and felt a strong desire to pray that the city would stay calm. As she recalls, there was unrest in parts of the city, but where she was it was calm with a prayerful feeling.
Before his death Nancy viewed Martin Luther King Jr. as "an outspoken leader who had a peaceful message for the people." Something she did not realize was how broad his influence was. She was sorry for his death, and was fearful of the reaction some people would have.
After the incident, Nancy felt the pull of more racial tension in the city. "I think there began to be in-trepidation on the part of whites, that we might elicit a reaction from blacks." Nancy felt as though she had to be careful not to offend any body of another face. Community meeting sprang up across town. In these meeting curriculum in schools required anti bias. The purpose of anti bias and work shops was to change attitude among people.