My First Full Day In Memphis...MLK

[rsmith6621]

Again I have relocated from Seattle to Billings MT now to Memphis as a result of my career and a desire to get more experience.

This morning I woke up at 0700 watch a couple of NEWSTalk shows(a rare Sunday thing 4 me )took a shower, got dressed, grabbed some breakfast and hit the road. First stop was Southhaven MS to go and have a decent cup of coffee at Starbucks and to check out residence possibilitys....then I drove back up to I-240 and did the loop around to DT Memphis,passed by the Fed-Ex forum and drove through some pretty run down areas around the downtown area...drove down world famous Beale St and the beautiful Memphis waterfront......Last stop was at the Lorraine motel the site of MLK assassination for a drive by to see where sadly history was made, it amazed me to see how small of a site it was. I took time from the front seat of my putt-putt to remember what I was doing that day....alls I really remember was my Dad at the dinner table when the news announced the tragedy saying "N- got what was coming to him. I made a conscious decision that day I would never be like him and I think I have kept that promise well in tact.....2nd thing I thought while I was there was this is the second place I have been that King has been the first was the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where he did his I Have a Dream speach.....then the third this was the fact that my right hand shook the hand of the person that held a mortally wounded MLK that being Jessie Jackson..

Someday I will take time to visit the Cival Right Museum and remember how much this world has missed no having MLK around...I wished Sharpton and Jackson had 25% of the integrity and genuine care that King had instead of just trying to seek TV time for their own GLORY.

[lizziegrace]

1. Memphis will be a culture shock for you

as well as a climate ordeal.

I went to HS and college in Memphis years ago. Much of the racial intolerance you experienced when MLK was murdered is still there. It's just more covert and simmers just below the surface for many people.

When you visit the Civil Rights museum, please take photos. It was being built when I was still in the south, but I never got to see it.

:hi: