When Steve H. lived in Memphis in 1968, he was 20 years old and attending the University of Memphis. He had lived at several places in midtown and enjoyed the college atmosphere with many influences of music in the area. He was not a Christian at the time and was talking difficult classes at the University. Between semesters, he decided to work for an electronics company. At this point, there had been many controversies between the city workers and officers.
Read MoreJudy T. by Taylor S., Harding Academy
In 1968, Judy T. was twenty-five years old. She was married with two children and lived in Memphis her whole life. She was a very busy woman, working outside the home and trying to get by. Martin Luther King, Jr. was in Memphis in the beginning of April to help support the African American sanitation workers. "
Read MoreLarry P. by Mackenzie C., Harding Academy
Larry P. was a 28 year old truck driver living in Southaven, MS in 1968. Larry happened to be in Downtown Memphis when Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. He remembered hearing all of the sirens and being given a curfew and was told to stay off the streets. In the weeks following the shooting, he remembers there being much sadness from everyone and he was afraid of what might would happen to him. He also said that the racial relations were actually better back then than they currently are today.
Read MoreJuly C. by Grace B., Harding Academy
July Chester was twenty-five years old in the year 1968. She lived in Memphis, Tennessee. At the time, July would describe Memphis as a "big small town," sort of resembling a larger Paragould. There was racial tension in Memphis, but July didn't really notice it much. The public schools were segregated. July was teaching fourth grade at Harding Academy. When July heard of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, she was frightened.
Read MoreGeorge C. by Shua F., Margolin Hebrew Academy-Cooper Yeshiva School
Where did you live? what was it like?
I lived in Memphis. Memphis was an extremely cordial yet racist community and didn't even know it. We had segregated bathrooms. if you went to a department store and walked through you would see a sign that said “mens room white only,” and then you would see another sign, “mens room, colored only.” You would see the water fountains “white only, colored only.” Our zoo, 6 times a week was for whites only, and one day a week was for coloreds. Same thing for the fairgrounds. Its hard to believe today, but that was the culture. In general, Memphis was kinda a small town, but a little bigger. Had three or four different Big Department store, and was by then, thriving.
Read MoreAmy B. by Cordova Middle
For my Assignment, I decided to interview my grand mother, Amy B.. She was 24 years old in 1968. She agrees to help me with my interview. She enjoyed helping me. It is great to hear how shekels about the events.
My Grandmother lived in South Memphis. She says that it was a great neighborhood. The community was great also. She was employed in 1968. She was married with one daughter. She was grateful for her job at Federal Reserve Bank but often felt that she was hired as a “token black” for the company.
Read MoreJoyce S. by Jayla P., Cordova Middle
My name is Jayla P. I attend Cordova middle, and I am currently in the 8th grade. For social studies, I had to interview someone that was old enough to understand the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. This interview will explain the impact of Martin Luther King's death on Memphis.
Read MoreEugenia J. by Gavin A., Cordova Middle
My grandmother Eugenia was 25 years old and living in Memphis in the 60's during the height of the civil rights movement and Dr. king was the key activists during this period.
Before the height of the movement, she says that almost all the schools in the South were segregated, those she attended as well. "The schools were segregated, so all of the black kids went to different schools than the white kids, overall the materials and supplies we got were used and broken. We all got old desks and books that belonged to the white schools before us."
Read MoreKenneth W. by Madelyn A., Cordova Middle
During the assassination, I was 26, and living in Frayser. During that time, it was horrible, and there was a lot of turmoil. Living in Memphis, had a lot of racism, and unequal rights. In 1968, I was working at Firestone. I was in management training, I did overtime. I went to Memphis State for 2 and 1/2 years. I also did night school for 1 and 1/2 years. It is different from today, because there is still a lot of unsettled things.
Read Moreby Reonna C., Cordova Middle
Mrs. Christine W. was 22 years old in 1968. She lived in Memphis by Riverside. In 1968 she was going to Memphis State and was a senior at the time. She noticed how racially unbalanced the college was. Another thing that stood out to her was all of the racism. A typical day for her was to go to her college courses and often came home to babysit. She likes how it's more socially acceptable to be able to be intergraded. She remembers that on the day King was shot she was really hurt. She was on her way to go to rally with them, but then she heard the news. Every felt really bad that they key him get killed in their hometown. Everyone was crying and they felt like they lost the battle they were fighting for. As the night went on, people were rioting and breaking windows. Police and national guards covered the streets ordering people to leave or they go to jail.
Read MoreMabel H. by Amanda B., Cordova Middle
"The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was shot to death by an assassin late today." I heard on the TV. My whole world stopped. "Mabel! Did you hear about MLK gettin' killed?!" my roommate asked bursting through the door. "Yeah" I answered. My name is Mabel H. I was 23 years old and in college at TSU on Nashville. I lived in Memphis before I went to college and I lived in Cleaborn Homes also known as the projects. Before I left, we still lived under serious segregation until Martin Luther King Jr. came into the picture. It's still in the process of sinking in that he's gone. It's a shame and a tragedy that he lost his life trying to help sanitation workers get better working conditions. He was a great person along with a great speaker.
Read MoreEunice M. by Chase W., Cordova Middle
The person I interviewed was Eunice M. She was 27 years old when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Mrs. M. was a Special Education teacher teacher that taught for 42 years before retiring. She is a native Memphian and says that in the 60's Memphis was a thriving city that people proudly called home. She remembers that the somber mood of the city after hearing Dr. Kings death. The city was placed under a curfew to try and avoid any more riots. People were stunned, and I disbelief that a Civil Rights activist that promoted peaceful resolutions was killed so violently in our city.
Read MoreMary B. by Eddie H., Cordova Middle
Martin Luther King Jr was a minister and prominent civil rights leader who advocated for the advancement of Civil Rights for African American people. On April 03, 1968, Dr. King traveled to Memphis to speak on behalf on African American Sanitarian Workers who were striking in efforts to receive equal wages. That day, he delivered his last sermon at Mason Temple in Memphis; not known as the famous "I've Been to the Mountaintop" address. The very next day, he was assassinated, here in the City, at the Lorraine Motel.
Read MoreLinda H. by Morgan T., Cordova Middle
It was April 4, 1968. Another airy spring day Thursday afternoon in Memphis, T.N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A.K.A MLK was visiting on account for a speech. Across town in a quaint area called Oakhaven, a young woman by the name of Linda H. was leaving work at Holiday Inn located downtown. She was going to get her hair done (like she did every Thursday) and drove over to her beauty salon. Linda was about to leave when her mother called her, "Hun, would you like your father to come pick you up?" "No, thanks. I'm good." Little did she know, a man was assassinated, in her hometown. She was driving home when she noticed the tense atmosphere.
Read MoreKatherine W. by Carmen R., Cordova Middle
Kathrine W. lived in Memphis Riverside. She explained that in Memphis it was racially unbalanced she wasn't being able to take desired course. She told me that in 1968 she was in college and noticed a difference, the whites were watching out for blacks. It was socially accepted to be mixed races. Kathrine said that the day Dr. King was assigned it hurt her emotionally, to feel like someone in the family was dead. It felt bad that he was killed in her hometown. She said it felt like a lost battle and she cried like a baby.
Read MoreLeland H. by Spencer H., Harding Academy
It was a typical day for 27 year old Leland J. H. He had just woken up while he heard an airplane taking off near his house. From his house, he then went to work, where he served the city of Memphis by being a firefighter at Fire Station 13. On his way to work he saw some old friends and kept on driving. When he arrived he sat down to eat some breakfast for the day. Later on during the day, they got a call saying that the civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. had just been shot on his balcony near the station.
Read MoreJames S. by David J., Harding Academy
James S., who is my great uncle, grew up in Southaven, MS. He said the mid-South was a fun place to live. He said Memphis was in a transition of becoming a major Metropolitan area like Nashville. My uncle Jim, as we call him, shortly attended Northwest Mississippi Jr. College! And then joined the Navy in 65'. My uncle Jim was 20 years old about to turn 21 in October of 1968. He was at the end of his tour of duty in 68'.
Read MoreDorothy R. by Zaria C., Harding Academy
My name is Dorothy R.; I was 26 years old when Martin Luther King Jr. died. I was living in a poor area in South Memphis. Back then we had our own neighborhood. The neighborhood had its own schools and stores. Also families stayed together. There was also less crime in 1968. A typical day for me would be getting my children ready for the day, after they were ready I would get ready myself and go to work. I worked at Cecil's grocery for eight hours each day. Life was good until Martin Luther King Jr. got shot. After that the city felt different.
Read MoreMarge. P. by Caleb M., Harding Academy
I was twenty-six years old and living in midtown when Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. I remember how Memphis was very segregated back in the 60's. I didn't go to school with anyone in the opposite race until I graduated from central high school. My daughter and I both agreed that it was more fun back then to be a teenager because of how strict everything became after the assassination.
Read MoreBubba B. by Casey A., Harding Academy
Bubba B. grew up in South Memphis, attended college at Ole Miss, served in World War II, retired from military service, and became a clerk for the Memphis court. Back in the 1960s, Memphis was a very divided city. Most of the population were democratic, and all of the high schools were segregated. In the court system in Memphis in the 60s there were four judge and the jury was selected by a commissioner. After the death of Martin Luther King Jr. most of the court cases got held back as far as six months.
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