I remember the day King died

[Thirties Child]

We were transferred to Atlanta in 1963 because UPI saw what was coming in the South. Mr. Thirties wrote the entire Civil Rights story, crying as he wrote the King funeral.

Atlanta reacted to King's assassination with sadness. We drove our cars with our lights on in tribute. The city didn't erupt in rioting because we needed to act. I took our eight-year-old and our ten-year-old to march in the Funeral March, walking behind the wagon drawn by mules. There were so very many of us, white as well as black.

King's assassination hit me much harder than either JFK or RFK, I think because such a monumental spirit had been taken from us. I cried so much that our six-year old called "We Shall Overcome" "the song Mom cries to".

We shall overcome, we shall overcome.
Black and white together
We shall overcome some day.

[theHandpuppet]

1. I remember as well

In high school at the time. I was just sick over it. I went outside and lowered our flag to half-staff for Dr. King, and my Dad whupped my ass for it. Things were really bad back then.