Southwestern at Memphis

Looking back at the Southwestern at Memphis newspaper from the time of the sanitation strike in Memphis brings a very interesting perspective to the time period. The paper published two special editions during the sanitation strikes dated April 2, 1968 and April 3^rd. Strangely enough there was not another special edition of The Southwestern paper after the assassination of Martin Luther King. The front page editorial that week was titled “Memphis Riot Blasts Racial Calm” as the author speaks that  the “uneasy truce between the city and its black community collapsed in violence and disorder.” The author provides primary accounts of what was happening during the marches, with student activists reporting back to the editors. This perspective by Robert Orr, was one of peaceful marchers who were occasionally disrupted by rioters who did not share the same goals. Chris Drago speaks of events at the Clayborn Temple, including police officers shooting tear gas inside the Temple. The paper was very different than other Memphis publications as it also had several editorials from different professors at Southwestern, who were trying to make sense of the chaos. The publication was actually able to get an exclusive interview with mayor Henry Loeb, who spoke in ludicrous terms by stating that the march was being turned back, “basically because the youngsters were breaking windows and because violence erupted”. Possibly the most interesting point mentioned in the paper was  by  Coby Smith, who was a Southwestern student and also a member of the Black Organization Project. He spoke in stark terms that he believed Martin Luther King had failed in his mission and that a more violent and militant course of action had to be taken. While this interview took place before the assassination of King, it does show some perspective off what black activists thought on the Southwestern campus. It is very interesting to look at this student publication and see how different it was from  other major publications at the time including the Commercial Appeal and African American newspapers such as the Memphis World and The Tri-State Defender. The Southwestern publication is more of a scholarly discussion , with actual analysis of  what was taking place as well  as trying  to make sense of the existing turmoil. The student activists played a significant role in the sanitation strike and also furthered the entire civil rights movement.