On January 24, 1973, the city public school system of Memphis, Tennessee, began implementing the initial phase of a court-ordered desegregation, and 65 buses--the first ever used in Memphis--rolled through the city streets. What is the significance of the events of January 24 there? What are the implications for urban school systems elsewhere in the country? How did Memphis do what it did, and why did it do it? What has happened since then, and what is likely to happen next? This article attempts to answer these questions. It is felt by the author that it is too soon to investigate the educational side of school desegregation. (Author/SB)