Yesterday the Martin Luther King Memorial was unveiled on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Back in April, I visited the location of Dr. King’s shooting: the hotels that now comprise the National Civil Rights Museum. This 20-year old Memphis, TN museum is a very informative place of history. It provides a narrative of the history of blacks in America, with emphasis on the 20th century’s struggle and progress, giving you a context of where Dr. King fit in.

Among the key points in the timeline is the Lunch Counter protests.  Department stores in the 50s, such as Woolworths, allowed blacks to shop but not eat at the popular lunch counters. Many brave people put their necks on the line at these and other “sit-ins,” outlasting the abuse of local jerks who were the spiritual peers to Biff and other bullys.

You’ll also learn about another key road in the struggle: education. There’s much video and text about Brown v. Board of Education, including video of President Eisenhower addressing the nation about his decision to send in the Army to enforce desegregation in Little Rock. It was the culmination of a drawn-out back and forth with the governor of Arkansas, who thumbed his nose at the law. He learned that you don’t screw with Ike. Eisenhower led the victory over the Germans in WWII; he had no trouble overpowering an American whose beliefs were too in-step with the Nazis.  Other important figures were the black students who enrolled at Southern universities such as U. of Mississippi. You’ll learn about their struggle, how the Kennedy justice department assisted the fight against segregation.. and how it played out.

All this culminates in a series of exhibits about King and his mission.

Across the street is the former hotel from which the gunman killed King. Much work has been done to cleanse this unholy place into a bright academic atmosphere where you can learn about the movements of James Earl Ray, the investigation, and his capture.

Here are some photos from the morning I spent at the museum.

It just happened to be the day before the anniversary of the shooting. Thus, there was a memorial, in attendance were people who had been close to King, and other dignitaries.

Parked outside of the museum is the Cadillac and another car that had been in the King fleet the day he was shot.  I got emotional.

Art conveys beauty and hope in a place which housed an enemy of both (J.E. Ray)

Inside the National Civil Rights Museum. The words of a former slave:

“Free at last, free at last…”  

The new memorial on the Mall looks strong. I will visit someday. I recommend you also visit Memphis for the civil rights museum and other attractions (which I’ll describe in another post).