In December 1965, with growing dialogue and tension on the subject of civil legal rights in the country, the university hosted a discussion on the subject in between conservative author and commentator William F. Buckley Jr. and liberal African American journalist Louis Lomax. July 1, 2008 - Ebony Whitaker, an African American trans girl, was shot and killed in Memphis. February 4, 2008 - Ashley Sweeney, a trans girl, was shot in the head.