In 1968, Carl W. was only 2 years old. He was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. During this time, Memphis was full of racial tensions. Whites and Blacks were divided by a racist society. In school, teachers were only teaching about American history, but not African American history. Blacks could only go to places that were for Black people. Whites Went to things that were for Whites only. Even if blacks wanted to ride on the bus, they had to sit at the back. We could never sit in the front or we would be kicked off the bus.

The person that I interviewed is Jasmine T.. I interviewed her about Martin Luther King's assassination and this is what she told me. She lived in Memphis TN from the time she was eight years old. The first question I asked her was, "What was it like?” and she said ”at the time, it was hard for African Americans because the white people discriminated based on color. The white people think the black people were only made to work for the white people.” Then, I asked her to describe her life in 1968. She said, "I was eight years old in 1968 and I lived with my mother and father. 

Interviewee Name: Bryan D.

Age in 1968: 9

Where did you live? What was it like? What stands out about living in Memphis in the 1960s?

“Well nothing really stands out because you know when you a kid and I was like 8 or 9 when MLK got killed, nothing really stands out because you see everything from a kid’s point of view. You don’t really notice the difference in how people treat you because of your race because your contact with other people of other races was limited. So I can’t really say anything stood out except a lot of times it was real violent and stuff with the civil rights and all that kind of stuff.”

Describe your life in 1968. What was a typical day like for you in 1960? School? Work? How was it different from today?

“Getting up, going to school, coming home and playing was the normal for me. I had 9 brothers and sisters and we didn’t have a lot of money. We were very poor so I didn’t have a lot. I never even had a bike when I was little. I didn’t get new shoes. 

In 1968, David Winestone lived in Memphis Tennessee. He said, “I lived in a racially mixed neighborhood, although I was confined to my street of mainly white people.”

He recalls the day when Martin Luther King was shot and killed. “I knew who Martin Luther King was because he came to Memphis to defend the sanitation workers and to give a speech. I had heard he got shot later in the evening, but did not understand the importance until the next morning.”

Marilyn H. was 10 years old when Martin Luther King Jr. Died. She was at school when the principle announced it over the intercom. School was dismissed early and on her way home she saw people rioting and marching the streets and sidewalks. Marilyn was not allowed to watch the television or listen to the radio because her mother did not want her seeing or hearing what was going on. 

I was sitting in my Boy Scouts meeting like normal. Everything seemed like it usually did; Learning new techniques about survival and such. During this time in my life, everything was much simpler. I would ride my bike to and from school, play sports all day, and then go back home for supper. One night during my Boy Scouts meeting, something changed. Everyone seemed in a bit of a panic and they all seemed sad. 

Alan : Where did you live? What was it like? What stands out living in memphis in the 1960s?
Sue : I lived in the city where there were noise everywhere I went. It was quite relaxing. The food stood out to me.
Alan : Describe your life in the 1960s. What was a typical day like for you in 1968? How was it different from today?
I was very young so a typical day for me was going to school and back. After, I would come home and play until it was time for dinner.

In 1968 my granddad, Lee H. was 10 years old. My granddad was living in Memphis, Tennessee at that time. He was sitting in class at school, he was in the fifth grade. My granddad saw his teacher crying and told his classmate, his classmate replied, "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has been shot." My granddad didn't quite know who Dr. King was. At first he thought it was a king of a country. But soon he found out by his parents, who are now my great grandparents that he was great man who was trying to help the sanitation workers equal job rights. When he was assassinated by James Earl Ray.  The neighborhoods were different.