Almost fifty years ago, the world lost its most prominent leader in the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Ir. He was a véry influential in his pursuit for racial equality in the United States. Johnnie Mae Perkins, of Memphis, Tennessee, reminisces on the power of his voice and the impact of his words. Various media samples broadcasted across the world showed passionate response to civil injustices and King's assassination. A discussion with Ms. P. gives insight on the citizens of the time, and how some reacted to the tragedies that took place in 1968.
Read MoreJoAnn D. by William D., St. Agnes - St. Dominic
In the 1960s, JoAnn D. moved from her home on a farm near Crawfordsville, Arkansas to Memphis, Tennessee. She lived in a beautiful and peaceful neighborhood called Whitehaven. Memphis is world famous because of Elvis Presley, he also lived in Whitehaven.His home is known as Graceland, and JoAnn lived nearby. Like most other young women in Memphis, she was a huge fan of Elvis. She had even kissed him once. However, Elvis was not her true love. She had recently met and married her husband, Tommy D., who grew up in Memphis.
Read MoreJerline M. by Reginald M., Craigmont High School
Age in 1968: 28
Where did you live? What was it like? What stands out about living in Memphis in the 1960s?
I lived on the Raleigh-Millington Road. It was just like everyone was upset and sorry that he was killed in Memphis. It was segregated from black and white, couldn’t eat in certain places cause you were black.
Describe your life in1968. What was a typical day like for you in 1968? School? Work? How was it different from today?
I was a married house wife. Well then white was against the blacks, now the blacks are against the blacks.
Read MoreLynn G. by Laura G., Harding Academy
In 1968, Lynn G. was 24 years old. Him, his wife, and two children lived in Audubon Downs Apartments in Memphis, Tennessee. It was a large apartment complex for the 1960's. He paid seventy-nine dollars a month to live there. Living in Memphis during this time was a time of transition. It was a like this because of the separate but equal laws. African Americans had their own set of laws called the Jim Crow Laws.
Read MoreDarrell J. by John S., Harding Academy
As I awoke on the morning of April 4, 1968, everything in my life was going well. I had a good job working at JC Penny's in the jewelry department, I had a beautiful wife and three kids, and the day was starting like any other, however this was the day that Memphis would forever be changed. As I sat eating lunch in the Sterick building in downtown Memphis I heard that Martin Luther King Jr. Had been assassinated.
Read MoreAnonymous by Christopher G., Harding Academy
In 1968, I was a young mother of a 7 year old, happily married and living in a small house in south east memphis, and worked in a bank. Life was quiet, and much slower than today. Our son was in elementary school at Harding Academy, and we were a normal happy family.
Read MoreBarbara K. by Lieb W., Margolin Hebrew Academy-Cooper Yeshiva School
Where did you live? What stands out about living in Memphis in the 1960s?
It was clean, spacy, nice neighborhoods, people were friendly. Downtown was vibrant. She was born in Memphis and grew up in Memphis. Everything about Memphis was very comfortable and familiar for her. Having gone there for school, from first grade until Central High School, it was just the place she wanted to be.
Describe your life in 1968. What was a typical day like for you in 1968? School? Work? How was it different from today?
Read MoreDede by Robbie M., Margolin Hebrew Academy-Cooper Yeshiva School
Robbie: Where did you live um in 1968, and what was it like? Yeah
Dede: I lived near the corner of, well I was in the central part of Memphis, Poplar and Mertin which is close to Poplar and Parkway. Just recently married and we had our first baby. She was about 3 months old at that time.
Robbie: What stood out about living in Memphis in the 1960s?
Read MoreLouise M. by Ethan M., Margolin Hebrew Academy-Cooper Yeshiva School
Hi. I am Louise M. I am seventy-eight years old and I live in Memphis, TN. I have three sons and nine grandchildren that I love dearly. I like to go to my workout classes and spend time with my family. I love cooking shabbat meals for all of my family to enjoy. I have lived in Memphis for all of my life.
Read MoreKimberly S. by Caleb H., Cordova Middle
On September 15, 2014 i interviewed a very special person in my life on her personal experiences during 1968 and her point of view on the assassination of the great Martin Luther King. This special person is my grandmother, Kimberly S. I asked my grandmother on where she lived, what it was like, and what really stood out in Memphis during the 1960's. She explained to me that she liked living in Memphis in her early twenties. She also said it was a very busy city. She said the division and the city not integrated is what really stood out to her. My grandmother said that Memphis was a city that was at the center of many civil rights issues. She said she remembered the sanitation workers going on strike in 1968.
Read MoreForrest H. by Sydney G., Cordova Middle
The person I interviewed was Forrest K. H. This man was a police officer on the streets of Memphis on the day of the assassination. Mr. Forrest lived 2410 Nunnelee, 38127 (Frayser). He was happily married with two children, one in the way. "Mostly everyone respected (feared) and obeyed the police. I say it's changed 100 percent, people have much less respect for the police and have become very rebellious. Crimes were much rarer and less violent, but it seems like there are murders every day in the modern world," says Forrest. At this time, Forrest H. was a lieutenant on the Memphis Police Force, often just at the station taking cakes or doing street patrols, working on the 3-11 shift. This year, however was a but more different than any other year he had ever had.
Read MoreNancy B. by Lucas M., Cordova Middle
When I lived in Memphis, Tennessee it was a very chaotic time. We we had lived through a decade of civil unrest. President Kennedy had been assassinated 5 years earlier; the Vivil Rights Movements continually produced violent protests and civil disorder. Furthermore, there was a nationwide anger and unrest over the Vietnam War. Every part of our lives seemed to be in upheaval.
Read MoreFrankie M. by Anna H., Harding Academy
On April 4, 1968, 28-year-old Frankie M. had many things on her mind. How was her newborn son doing? What will she cook for dinner? But after a long day working at the Milan Arsenal, these questions were replaced by a fear caused by a shocking piece of news: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated in downtown Memphis. She went home to her family where she and her family, along with the rest of her small town, were glued to their televisions watching the historic events taking place in Memphis.
Read MoreLynda S. by Phillip M., Harding Academy
In 1965 my grandmother, Lynda S., married my grandfather Bill S.. In 1966, my mother, Valarie, was born. They had a house in east Memphis and both worked for Dobb's. Living in a city like Memphis was scary because there was lots of rioting and marching going on. There was also a lot of looting and people were breaking into many different places. She was scared that the rioting would come into her neighborhood but thankfully it never did. In 1968, she was expecting their second child, Billy. She would go to work then come home to care for her baby and the house. At the time, their family had only one car and would share it.
Read MoreYevonne H. by Alyssa H., Harding Academy
I interviewed my grandmother, Yevonne H. She was twenty-nine years old when Martin Luther King Jr. Died on April 4, 1968. "The morning of Luther's death, I got up like any other day and got the kids ready for school. Kirk was eight years old at the time, and I was a stay at home mom. After I took the kids to school, I cleaned the house. The Vietnam War was going on, and Civil rights movements were taking place. Also, Ole Miss had been integrated a few years earlier. The president at the time of Luther's death was London B. Johnson.
Read MoreElla B. by Calvin A., Harding Academy
In 1968, I was 28 years old and living in Lamar Terrace in Memphis, Tennessee. Lamar Terrace was a place where people who did not have a lot of money lived. I had 2 kids and worked at Whol Shoes Factory. A typical day for me was going to work where I shipped out shoes and then watching my 2 kids. The people in Memphis in the 60s was more focused on their jobs and were not focused on electronics like the people of Memphis today. Living in Memphis in the 60s is different from today because there was not that much crime, no 24 hour watch, no bars on windows, and Memphis was safer.
Read MoreBeverly F. by Macey D., Harding Academy
In 1968, I was 26 years old. I lived in Memphis and at the time it was very peaceful and was one of the cleanest cities in America. A typical day for me consisted of staying home with my two children and taking care of the house while my husband worked at Arnold's Hearing Aids. On March 28, 1968, sanitation union riots in Memphis turned violent. On March 29, 1968, I went into labor with my third child. As I was waiting in the hospital, all of the doctors and staff members were outside observing the strike, showing respect to the sanitation union. My husband and a new intern rushed me to the delivery room and we basically had to deliver the baby ourselves. Needless to say
Read MoreMarijane T. by Matt P., Harding Academy
When King was assassinated, I lived on South Graham in a small house. I was young and had a good life. It wasn't easy, but it was good. The house was located inside a small neighborhood but still was close to everything I needed. Memphis was clean and quiet, a good time. People were very friendly and kind. I had two small children and the whole neighborhood would get together and have a good time. People would have pancake dinners and kids would play outside, it was peaceful.
Read MoreElizabeth S. by Toni S., Harding Academy
My name is Elizabeth S. In the year 1968, I was 28 years old. I lived on 2205 Benton Street in Memphis, TN. I liked living in Memphis in the 60s- it was a rough city, but not nearly as rough as it is now. At night, I could walk the streets without any concern and the people were genuinely kind and concerned about one another. The word "neighbors" really meant something
Read MoreLouise F. by Matthew C., Harding Academy
My Aunt Louise F. was at the age of 28 in 1968. She lived in Memphis Tennessee at 227 Market Mall in an integrated neighborhood. She was black but she was friends with a lot of white people and also talked to a lot of whites in this neighborhood. She was a stay at home wife to her husband. She also had kids in preschool at this time. The different she mentioned was that segregation was still there, but was about to come to an end when the death of MLK happened. She also remembers the day of the march because her father in law Clinton Burrews was actually one of the sanitation workers on strike. She said it was very hectic at this time.
Read More