by Don Mooney
Book signing marks the day 67 years ago, on a Friday, Mrs. Bertha Looney and seven other students from Memphis public schools integrated Memphis State College. In the shadows of their Little Rock 9 neighbors, the proverbial ball for equal opportunities at all public and state educational facilities in the state of Tennessee began. photo by Don Mooney
Memphis, Tenn—On September 18, 1959 at 7:30 am, a teenager recalls tears welling in her eyes as her father pulled away leaving behind his precious cargo. The recent Hamilton High School class of ’59 graduate standing on the corner of Patterson and Mynders uncertain of the fate she would face once her feet were planted on the then segregated Memphis State College. Thus begins a first-hand account of newly released memoir by author Mrs. Bertha Looney of her and the seven members that became known to the world as the Memphis State Eight.
THE BOOK: WE DARED TO BE FIRST
University of Memphis president Dr. Bill Hardgrave was on hand for the book signing. Welcomed the audience and Mrs. Looney who would also be his special guest in the newly renovated stadium presidential suite on Saturday v UT-Martin. The presiding president of Memphis State College never met with the Memphis State Eight. photo by Don Mooney
We Dared To Be First Memoir of a Memphis State Eight Trailblazer allows the world a peek back in time. Black students navigating the day to day challenges of armed escorts, as if required by class syllabus, rules outlining that students were only allowed on campus from 8am – noon. No participation in campus extracurricular activities. Added the isolation, separate facilities designed just for Memphis State Eight, combined with weight of the hopes and fears of the Black community under the white, hot glare of the national spotlight.
Looney does a good job as you would expect from a former English Professor guiding the reader with pretext and context. She spends a generous amount of time acquainting the reader with the seven whom are no longer here. She details the careful selection process that resulted in the Memphis State Eight. Looney’s narrative points to the systematic long game. The book pulls back the curtain of a community collectively bonding for the future good of its children and generations to come. There are layers, which young folks refer to as levels, of community actors, local politicos shaking trees, calling favors which in turn complemented the legal brain trust that culminated in the legal hallways to the supreme court.
Mrs. Looney addressing the crowd about her memoir reminding the audience the Memphis State Eight were united needed each other to make this historic effort possible. photo by Don Mooney
The book shadows the pretextual cases that had been either stricken, or, either reversed that pushed the justice ball further down the road. Jim Crow and segregation in the south, particularly Memphis, was the norm and the en masse effort on behalf of the Black community to slowly chip away at some semblance of social equity in spite of its inherent its dangers.
Prior to the successful integration of Memphis State College the world had become acquainted with Brown v Board of Education, Topeka decision in May of 1954, which ordered that racial segregation in public schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. There were other legal skirmishes prior to the Memphis State Eight.
In September of 1954, inspite of the recent Brown v Topeka decision, Five Black students, known as the Memphis Five were denied admission to Memphis State College. The year 1957 Black students Maxine Smith and Dr. Miriam DeCosta Sugarmon Willis were denied admission to the Memphis State University Graduate School. The same year Jesse Turner entered the main library at Peabody and Mclean in Memphis, TN and requested a library card to borrow a book which he was naturally denied.
photo by Don Mooney
In 1958 The Memphis State Four were denied undergraduate admission to Memphis State College. Three of those denied would later become members of the Memphis State Eight. Also during this busy year of racial denials in August 15, 1958 Jessie Turner filed suit to integrate the Memphis Public Library system. In July of the following year (1959) the Memphis State Eight student applicants passed the newly, first time required, entrance exam created for such a time as this.
The Memphis Eight leaving required orientation for admission to Memphis State College. AI Enhanced.
Still More Work To Do
Nothing but applause for the she, and, heroes known as the Memphis State Eight. Theres still lessons going forward to be learned. The Memphis State College is recognized as a fully credentialed institution. As the college which boasted of approximately 4500 student body and eight Blacks in 1959 has increased. Today the University of Memphis (U of M) boast a student body in the area of 20,000 students with around 7,000 of its students being Black
The Memphis State Eight’s is still impacting the forward social integrated momentum at the U of M. African-Americans are the face of the money making sports on the campus, such as football and basketball. Administrative positions throughout the U of M reflect the impactful legacy of the Memphis State Eight today. With much more work to do U of M is not sticking its head in the sand. These sentiments are expressed by Ken Moody, Executive Director for Governmental and Community Affairs at U of M agrees. “While there is much more work to do, according to Moody, progress has been made. If you look around the U of M now, there are Black in positions that would not be if not for the courage of the Eight. I personally know that I wouldn’t be in my position without them.”
photo by Don Mooney
During the book signing the audience was made aware the city council designated September 18, 2026 as Memphis Eight Day and to name an honorary street on campus in their honor.