GUEST COLUMN

Why protest? Recent killings resonate powerfully with black Memphians

By  and , Guest Columnist Updated: June 01, 2020 12:20 PM CT | Published: June 01, 2020 12:20 PM CT
Aram Goudsouzian
Guest Columnist

Aram Goudsouzian

Aram Goudsouzian is professor of history at the University of Memphis. His books include “Down to the Crossroads: Civil Rights, Black Power, and the Meredith March Against Fear.”

Guest Columnist

Charles McKinney

Charles McKinney is the Neville Frierson Bryan Chair of Africana Studies and an associate professor of history at Rhodes College. He is the author of “Greater Freedom: The Evolution of the Civil Rights Struggle in Wilson, North Carolina.”

Critics point out that these tragedies occurred outside of Memphis. They also complain that activists should focus on issues such as joblessness, educational deficits and crime. But in times of crisis, public protest is essential.

Topics

George Floyd Ahmaud Arbery Breonna Taylor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ell Persons Darrius Stewart

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