Honoring History… Celebrating the Dream…

By MzTravelDiva ⋅ January 19, 2009 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

As a native Atlantan, I have felt fortunate to have the opportunity to experience the King legacy firsthand. The history of Atlanta and the history of the civil rights movement go hand in hand. I’ve visited The King Center numerous times growing up, from school field trips to family reunion tours… and now I live a few minutes away. Dr. King and his vision had a deep impact on me and influenced how I began to see the world and my place in it. So, Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site will always be a special place for me. I remember a few days after Mrs. Coretta Scott King passed away, on my way to work, I stopped by a memorial that the King Center created in her honor; and just sat and reflected on the struggles that she and her husband, along with countless other endured in order to make the world a better place for me. I felt a deep sense of gratitude.

As we honor Dr. King today, I encourage you celebrate his dream by visiting the many historical sites and museums that have been established across the country that pay tribute to our difficult past and our promising future.

Atlanta
After visiting the King Center, step inside Dr. King’s birth home and explore the neighborhood in which he grew up, still affectionately known as the Sweet Auburn Historic District. A few feet from the King Center, you will also find Ebezer Baptist Church, which was pastored by both Martin Luther King Sr. and Jr., and the place in which Dr. King preached many of his most famous, powerful sermons. In this small area of the city, you will find a tremendous amount of history, and after visiting will definitely feel a renewed spirit to make a change.


Birmingham
Birmingham is also an important place in Civil Rights history. Sadly, it was here where the bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church occurred in which four little girls where killed, which ignited much protest in the city and across the country.

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute was built sixteen years ago with a vision of bridging the past with the future through education and research. The Institute holds numerous events and exhibitions throughout the year.

Memphis
The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel is the place were Dr. King spent his last hours, and has been preserved to honor his legacy and the civil rights movement as a whole.

JetSetters, I encourage you to add these life-changing experiences to your ‘must-see’ list. If you have been to these or any other sites honoring the civil rights legacy, please share your thoughts with us.

Let us not forget…but always remember.