Martin Luther King, Jr.
The summer of 1969, without warning, a young black girl was shot in the back of the head and killed by a white police officer. Vivian Strong and her friends were having a party in a vacant apartment, playing music and dancing. She was 14. I was 13 that summer. I don’t remember hearing about Vivian, despite the killing taking place in my hometown. I don’t remember any conversation at home, at school, or with my friends about Vivian’s death. I don’t remember anyone explaining why this happened or how the trial of the police officer resulted in acquittal. Vivian’s
