Tag: Martin Luther King Jr.

"One day, when we were all in our early 30s, Martin Luther King Jr. said to our little ragtag bunch, 'Everybody here has got to be clinically insane to think that with no money, no political power, no army, no nothing, we are going to redeem the soul of America.' And then, he said, 'We’ll be lucky to make it to 40. But if we make it past 40, we’re going to have to make it to 100 because this is not an easy job. It’ll take more than our lifetimes to get it right.' Well, I think that planted it in my mind, especially after he was killed, that I had to make it to 100."

"Two brothers brought the community closer. They taught me as a young man to respect other people. They told me to get all of the education you can, and don’t ever look back. Keep going forward, work, and be dedicated to something in life."

The members of the Black Student Union at Decatur High School are barely old enough to vote, but they have already had an impact on local politics—helping a city with a progressive reputation confront its own racial history.

A civil rights legend and representative of Georgia’s 5th District since 1987, John Lewis served his Atlanta constituents and the nation as the “moral conscience of Congress.” Lewis died on July 17, 2020 at age 80.

This time of unrest offers the chance to take a different path forward and lead the Atlanta region, the South, and the nation toward a more equitable future. We must take the lessons (both good and bad) from our courageous past to realize a New Atlanta Way.

Over four consecutive days in February 1961, roughly 80 activists—including nine at a coffee shop on Forsyth Street—were arrested and refused bail, testing the limits of the county jail.

Civil Bikes owner Nedra Deadwyler, who leads tours on local history and preservation, highlights some unsung places in Atlanta’s civil rights past.

Atlanta would be a lesser town without Busy Bee, which provided sustenance to Civil Rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr.

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park—which includes the visitor center, King's birth home, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the historic Fire Station No. 6—has been closed since the government shutdown began on December 22, but thanks to a grant from the Delta Air Lines Foundation and money from NPS recreation fees, the park will reopen for the King holiday on and stay open through Super Bowl LIII.

Fahamu Pecou has come back from tragedy to host a solo show at Emory’s Michael C. Carlos Museum, Justin Timberlake is coming to State Farm Arena, and Atlanta is celebrating what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.'s 90th birthday.