Remembering Dr. King and the National Civil Rights Museum

Today we celebrate the life, teachings and sacrifice of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. If he had not been cut down by an assassin’s bullet in 1968, he would be 91 now. He would have elderly children, grandkids and great grandkids. It’s hard to picture when you consider the timeless images of a young man like the one above.

Here he is with his wife and first child. It brings to mind the famous quote that we all have heard.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

You have to wonder how much different the world and our country might be had he lived longer.

Today I thought we should visit the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN. First of all, Memphis is one of my favorite places because there is music and history and culture and mac and cheese at every turn. Seriously, the abundance of homemade mac and cheese is pretty spectacular.

But it’s also home to this museum that beautifully and skillfully tells the story behind the movement.

Among other things, the museum has preserved the Loraine Motel where Dr. King was murdered. You can see his room and the balcony where he stood when bullets were fired from a boarding house across the street. Incidentally, you can tour that boarding house as well.

Visiting here was a sobering, humbling experience that sort of put a damper on the fun of all that music and food. But friends, I would go back today if given the opportunity and I would highly recommend it to you as well.

Facing history gives us the opportunity to learn from our past, to humanize those people we read about in text books and to hopefully do better tomorrow. And if nothing else, a place like this instills in us a new sense of empathy and understanding that we may not have known on our own.

Want to visit the National Civil Rights Museum? Click here for details. If you wish to ponder the teachings and thoughts of Dr. King, this is a good source for quotes.

The Lorraine Motel and Dr. King

Several years ago I took a wonderful trip through Tennessee, visiting both Memphis and Nashville. Our time in Nashville was fun but Memphis is one of my favorite places on Earth. There’s amazing music everywhere, not to mention the food, the history and a sense that you’re the first to discover all that’s amazing here.

This trip has been top of mind the last few days with the approach of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. You see, Memphis is home to the National Civil Rights Museum which is located at the Lorraine Hotel where Dr. King was assassinated in 1968.

Visiting here was moving. It was informative. It was sobering. And it is something I would do all over again if I ever have a chance. Sadly, it did nothing to piece together in my mind how anyone can be so hateful and intolerant to another human or group of humans. That, I will never understand.

You can read about the museum at the link above if you’re interested. Here are a few pictures from my visit.

In case you would like to know more, the Lorraine Motel had a rich history even before Dr. King stayed here. You can read about it here.

The time is always right to do what is right. 

Martin Luther King Jr.