Where did you live? What was it like? What stands out about living in Memphis in the 1960’s?
“I lived in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968. Memphis was a great place to live and life was good. I had a big family, with six siblings, so my life, like many other Memphians, was very family oriented. Unlike most white people at the time, my family had many African American friends and our parents always told us they were no different than us. That’s what stands out most for me, personally.
Describe your life in 1968. What was a typical day like for you in 1968? School Work? How was it different from today?
“I was in high school. I would drive to school and then when it was over, I would drive home. I remember that my friends and siblings and I used to go shopping. At that point, there was still a “colored” water fountain in my favorite clothing store. You didn’t really see many African Americans in the department stores. That has definitely changed and is different from today.”
What do you remember about the day King was assassinated? How did you feel? How did you and the people around you react?
“I remember the feeling of fear. I was terrified! I didn’t believe it was true. I remember seeing pictures either in the newspaper or on television. Even though there were so many people who were against him, we definitely did not see it coming. I remember, quite vividly, my black housekeeper crying.”
She later remarked: “I also remember that there were different entrances for “whites” and “colored” at the movie theaters in Memphis. One time, my mother and I walked through the colored entrance to make a statement. ”
Describe your night King was shot? Where were you that night? What was the city like?
“There were only three television stations, and it was broadcasted on all three throughout the night, after he was killed. I was home that night and I remember my younger siblings being very confused. The city was shocked overall.”
What did you think of King before and after his death?
“I thought King was brave to be doing what he was doing. Not many people would have the courage to do that. After his death, I tried not to think about it too much, because it was extremely shocking.”
Did life change at all after his death?
“Life changed, in my opinion. People, or at least some people, came to the realization that this was not a joke.”
Did you ever really think about segregation?
“My family owned a small shop back then, where I would say about 1⁄4 of our customers were black, so I never really understood segregation. We treated our African American housekeeper like family.”