Witness Docs from Stitcher

Previously on Ernie's Secret

Martin appreciated him for what his pictures were doing to help publicize what we were doing.

The fact that he had a tool that exposed the injustice and he put it in front of the media

the way he did gave them life or let them keep their lives.

Every time I go to a movement activity he'd be there.

Every time we had a church rally or something he'd be there.

And this is a quote, oh yeah he's been an informant.

The funeral procession moved slowly down Bielstreet, led by a brass band.

It felt like all of Memphis had come out that day in October 2007.

They were going to usher their homegrown hero to glory.

Oh wow, that's when I realized what my father was.

I was like wow.

The outpouring of admiration for Ernest Withers was so great that even his daughter was taken aback.

They did a big celebration down Bielstreet and they did a motorcade throughout Memphis.

Places where my father had been.

Ernest was a staple in black Memphis having worked decades as a photographer.

He documented birthdays and weddings.

He ins and outs of daily life.

But his most vivid, his most intimate images.

Those were from the campaigns across the South for voting rights and desegregation.

They had made him a civil rights icon.

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