Monday, January 21, 2013

Dr Martin Luther King

While we are celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, I am moved to remember his death.  When Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee, I was living in Carbondale, Illinois, and attending the fifth grade at Parish Elementary.
I remember the African American community in Carbondale was very upset.  There were many fires started, but for some reason, these were generally in the Black community.  I found it odd why the people would burn their own areas.  I remember once coming home from church, and a fire engine going through the train barricade to get to a fire.  It was an interesting time. 
After the Assassination of Martin Luther King, our area of the country was on the look out for a white mustang.  It had been reported the assassin fled in a white mustang.  From this developed a car game where we could get points for seeing things.  One for a horse, five for a mustang and 50 for a white mustang.
There were riots, including the big one in Louisville, Kentucky.  My dad took us to the site of a  riot, but I can't remember where.  I am pretty sure it was in Kentucky, at a university.  It could have been Louisville.


No comments:

Post a Comment