It was a dark and scary night in Memphis, Tennessee Janis F. was at Lawanda Lake store with her grandmother.They were shopping very quickly so that they could get home and see Martin Luther King make another speech. While shopping a white man went past saying, “They just killed that nigger.” That Nigger was Martin Luther King. Janis and her grandmother dropped their things and ran home. When they got home, all they did was watch the television the whole night. In Memphis, Tennessee, they had many rules for the African Americans. They were not allowed to go to restaurants unless they went around the back. They were to go the Zoo only on Sundays. They were allowed to only sit in the balcony of the theater. They also had to sit at the back of the bus. Everyone had a curfew.
In l968 Janis F. attended Booker T. Washington School of Excellence, there she learned about the prejudice in her people.When she grew up, she knew she wanted to help all people. Janis wanted to be an advocate for the voiceless. A quote she kept in her heart by Martin, “If I can help one somebody, my living won’t be in vain.” Things have really changed in America in a good way. African-Americans do not sit in the back of the bus. We can be vocal without being called a name. We made history with President Barack Obama’s election in 2008. America has law makers. People are able to help themselves out poverty.
The night of King’s death was one of the worst nights in Memphis Tennessee. Janis F. remembers people rioting. There was great sadness and a lot of anger. There was looting, and blacks were beating policeman and vice versa. They even had to call in the National Guard. Nothing was normal after Martin Luther King’s death in Memphis, Tennessee. She felt sad and angry, and she cried a lot. She felt she needed to hurt someone. At those times, she remembered one of Martin Luther King’s quote, “Love comes after hate.” Throughout the night people took advantage and shot at policemen. Others remained calm and marched peacefully and silently.
Before King’s death, Janis knew Martin Luther King was a great orator. He was an amazing preacher. H was one of the best Civil Rights movement leaders of all time. Without Martin Luther King, change would not have come as quickly. Healso believed in nonviolence. After his death, nothing changed. He was a great man before and after his death. Janis honors his great legacy as a man. One characteristic that she really liked about him was that he was a human being who had no problem with any race. The next day, the people who respected the city and respected King’s wishes marched silently and peacefully. When there was a problem everyone viewed it as very bad. Most people in Memphis thought if everyone was unified, it could be a change rather than be a tug of war. We are are no longer called “boy” or “girl;” we have a name. We can sit anywhere on the bus.