Celebrate MLK!

I remember the first time I had a day off from school for Martin Luther King Day and being told that we celebrated this day in honor of the man who diversified our lives forever. In my early adulthood I read “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” and realized that his approach towards equal rights and his determination in the face of adversity helped me grow more insight and my own idolization of him began shortly thereafter. After all, he is the reason why we have equality in the United States today.

I’ll bring up one quote that has stuck with me; “A man who won't die for something is not fit to live.” With that being said, how would you commemorate a person responsible for so much greatness? Would you help out those in need like MLK had originally planned before his death or would you want to travel to his memorial to give thanks?

If you’d like to plan a destination to commemorate Martin Luther King and all of his achievements, look no further than his memorial in Atlanta, Georgia. What you’ll find at his memorial is his own personal library and the largest collection of Civil Rights documents in the world. You’ll also find his crypt, birth home, eternal flame, and the Ebenezer Church which was King’s spiritual home. As with all historic spots, your mind begins to wander and think of “what might have been” if he was never assassinated. 

Below is a map of where his memorial is located in Atlanta and a snapshot of what the spot looks like.

A few hotels for your stay:

The Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton Atlanta Downtown, Atlanta Marriot Marquis, Hyatt Regency Atlanta

Another destination for an MLK celebration is the much smaller Lorraine Motel, where King was assassinated. What they’ve done for this spot is quite remarkable - it has been completely preserved in its entirety and looks like a motel taken directly from the 1960’s! The Civil Rights exhibit surrounds the motel and just recently went through some renovations in order to expand. As most reviewers would point out, going to this spot is bound to be very powerful on both an educational and emotional level.

View from just outside of the motel where King was assassinated in 1968

We hope whatever your plans – whether traveling in commemoration or not – you had a wonderful MLK day.  Please visit: http://www.thekingcenter.org/ for more information on the King Memorial and http://memphis.about.com/od/museum1/p/civilrights.htm for more information on the Lorraine Motel.