This past November, I was fortunate enough to visit the National Civil Rights Museum, in Memphis, Tennessee. The museum is situated inside what was once the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King, Jr. lost his life forty-seven ago. Memphis is a city that has been gnawing away at its own dignity for the past two decades. White flight to metastasized suburbs, where any bar or restaurant of note is woven in with Walmart and big box stores, has left the city center both quaint and deserted. Recently, some effort has been made to revitalize Memphis’ downtown. This is in parallel to the extensive renovations at the old Lorraine Motel, which now boasts touch screens, interactive exhibits, and oral histories to instruct visitors about the historical and contemporary struggle for equal rights across America. I have high hopes for this new format. I believe this $27.5 million effort heralds a new era of prosperity and understanding to the decaying delta heartland. I trust that this epicenter of education will thrive and spread. So, I encourage you to visit Memphis; get in touch with the roots of your struggle. And honor the man, Martin Luther King, Jr. behind the museum. May the site of all our deaths continue the crusades we began while we lived. Happy MLK Day!
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 22:03:22 +0000
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