Growing up here in Memphis has had its ups and downs for me. I’m 32 years old, trying to take care of my five children; I hope that one day they’ll appreciate all I do for them. It’s a struggle living in a segregated community, where it seems like every black person is getting used to being beaten up because of their skin color. Thank God for a man named Dr. Martin Luther King, who's dream is for all races to be equal.

Where did you live? What was it like? What stands out about living in Memphis in the 1960s?
Mr.Bernard lived in Memphis TN in 1960. He came here before he was assassinated.

What do you remember about the day King was assassinated? What was different than normal? How did you feel? What did you think? Where were you when you heard? How did you react? How did people around you react? How did things change throughout the night?

“It was horrific no one expected it because he was very peaceful demonstrator his organization never did anything like... lighting fires, or tearing down stores or breaking windows. He came to Memphis. The garbage department was on a strike, striking for more money and he came here to make a speech and to march with them and he was staying in the Lorraine hotel and we all heard on the radio that he was assassinated. Cities throughout the country, The major cities like Detroit and New York, places like that people were rioting. In Memphis they were rioting but not as much in LA. The city put out an order for everyone to have a curfew. They were not to go out during curfew. They made sure not to let anyone out past curfew. Everyone stayed in their homes after dark. The whole world/country was shocked because he was a good person that he preached in his values and he got shot and everybody was scared because he got shot. Everyone thought there were going to be riots. It was stunning to us that something can happen like that in Memphis. This was our home town and you just don’t expect that to happen near your front door. We never experienced anything like that.”

Where did you live? What was it like? What stands out about living in Memphis in the 1960s?
“Memphis, Tennessee. Life was ok in the 60s. Nothing stood out about living in Memphis. Memphis despite the fact that 50% or more had African American population, it never really amounted to anything. Theres a more violent community now than there was back then. But life in memphis in that time was ok.”

How old were you when Martin Luther King was assassinated? I would say I was in my 30s, late 30s probably

What do you remember about that day specifically? What were you doing? Where were you? Well my husband and I and another lady had a dress shop on Union Avenue and I think we had the radio and they interrupted in the radio, it was late afternoon if I remember correctly and they told us what happened, that Martin Luther KIng had been shot and they told everybody if they could to go home because they were afraid there was gonna be riots.

Where did you live? What was it like to live in Memphis at the time?

I lived in Memphis Tennessee. As a young lawyer it was exciting times. Being part of the legal process and representing the blacks during that period, I fully understood that the constitution did work. The thing that stood out the most in mind about Memphis, was that I had the privilege of representing a black activist who was accused of a crime. The main witnesses against him were white police officers. As to the best of my recollection, there were ten white jurors and two black jurors. After the trial the jury found the defendant not guilty. This verdict speaks for itself as to the American jury system. This is just one of the incidents that have reinforced my faith in the American justice system. I remember representing blacks that were arrested without any justifiable legal reason. 

On April 4th, 1968 Dorothy R. was a thirty year old stay at home mother of two who lived in Memphis Tennessee. To Dorothy, Memphis was a boring town. Every day Dorothy didn't do a whole lot. She took care of her two baby girls because school didn't start until 1st grade. But on April 4th things were different. Dorothy was driving and saw cars blocked off and people throwing bricks and breaking windows so she cut over to poplar and got home not knowing what was going on until later she found out MLK had been shot and killed.

Fred was a 38 year old auditor living in Memphis, TN in 1968. He remembers a time of financial difficulties and trying Civil Rights times. Fred believes that there are many business, social, and religious differences. In 1968, Fred remembers a lot of tension between prejudiced people that threatened to become violent. When Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Fred was sitting at his desk at work. 

Mary Louise S. was 30 years old on the day Martin Luther King was assassinated. She was at the barber shop after work when she heard the news of Dr. King's assassination. She went home immediately after her hair cut was finished. Her husband, Don, was worriedly awaiting her arrival as he heard the news of riots in Memphis. They locked the doors and stayed at home the rest of the night.