Memphis is the largest city in the southern State of Tennessee, USA. The Mississippi River flows along the west side of the city. Memphis is the chief centre of business, industry and transportation in Tennessee. Six hundred fifty thousand people live in the city. More than one million people live in the area. Like many other American cities, Memphis has had racial problems. About forty eight percent of the city's population is African American. In 1968, city workers who collected waste went on strike. Most of the workers were black. The famous civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Junior went to Memphis to support the workers. On April 4th, King was murdered in Memphis by James Earl Ray. After Mr King's death, the city worked to improve living conditions for black people. In 1991, voters elected W*E Herenton the city's first black mayor . The same year, Memphis opened the National Civil Rights Museum. It was built next to the place where Martin Luther King was killed. Many people visit the museum to learn about the history of the American civil rights movement. Today, people from across the United States and around the world visit Memphis. Tourism has become a major industry. There are about   _   African Americans living in Memphis.
312,000 480,000 650,000 1,000,000