Monday morning was filled with music, poetry and prayer as the Brazos Valley community came together — albeit virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic — to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Deidra Davis, Bryan school board member and instructional assistant professor at Texas A&M, delivered the keynote speech at the 25th annual Dr. King Freedom March & Program, which last year brought more than 1,000 people together in Bryan.
Davis spoke about remaining hopeful despite disappointments. King and his followers faced setbacks and disappointments throughout the civil rights movement, she said, with their nonviolent demonstrations being met with violence, but they never lost hope.
“In the light of what we are experiencing today with racism, senseless deaths, social and environmental injustices, civil unrest, health care inequalities, just to name a few, I ask you, have you lost hope?” she said.
She told the story of a time about 25 years ago when her hope had waned and she leaned on her grandmother Mildred Perkins Sr. for advice. Perkins was born in 1925 in Mississippi and as an adult relocated to Chicago with her husband and, at the time, six children. She would go on to have six more children. Perkins told Davis that she could not allow a moment of disappointment to take her off course.
“She expressed to me that day, with great authority, that she had not endured and persevered for her lineage to crumble and break under pressure, and truth be told, what I was experiencing during that time was nowhere near all that she had been through,” Davis said. “Again, with authority of her voice, she directed me to wash my face and get up for there was so much work that had been done for me, and yet so much that I also had to do for those that would follow me.”
Brazos County Precinct 4 Commissioner Irma Cauley, Bryan Mayor Andrew Nelson and College Station Mayor Karl Mooney joined Christie Whitbeck and Mike Martindale, superintendents of the Bryan and College Station school districts, respectively, to reflect on Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy.
“May we all reflect on the simple but powerful ideas of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” Martindale said. “More importantly, may we go forward every day with love in our hearts, as true success cannot be achieved with even the slightest bit of hate present.”
Navasota’s annual parade and festivities were also moved online Monday. President of Navasota City Wide Mission Kay Peavy said the pre-recorded video that streamed on Facebook reached around 1,800 people Monday morning — far more than the approximately 300 participants and attendees the event typically draws.
Peavy said this year’s program was centered around King’s quote “We must learn to live together as brothers or we will perish together as fools.”
“Coming together, valuing each other, and everybody contributing what they could, I think that in itself is my biggest takeaway,” Peavy said.
Each year, the Navasota City Wide Mission’s MLK Day celebration also recognizes a different group in the community. In light of the pandemic, this year’s program honored area health care professionals. In her keynote speech, registered nurse Shanandria Shelton thanked organizers for the recognition.
Shelton shared her battle with depression and how she found help through therapy and her Christian faith. She encouraged viewers to take care of their physical and mental health and to trust God to “rebuild” them after facing hardships.
In an original poem titled The Beautiful America, Navasota minister Myra Prosper-Dickson addressed police brutality, the Black Lives Matter movement, systemic racism and the recent Capitol riot. The virtual event also included clips from King’s speeches, the national anthem from the Navasota High School choir, the Negro National Anthem performed by Geraldine “Gerry” Williams, words from Grimes County Commissioner Precinct 3 Barbara Henley Walker and more.
At the Dr. King Freedom March & Program, Davis encouraged people to fall back on hope when they feel fear and uncertainty paralyzing them.
“As Dr. King reminds us, while we must accept finite disappointment, we must never lose infinite hope.”
That message of hope is one Agnes Gray, chair of the virtual event, hopes viewers take away from the program.
“You don’t fall into despair as long as there’s hope; as long as you can dream, you don’t fall into despair, and that’s when you give up, and we don’t want our youth to give up,” Gray said.
To view the full programs, visit facebook.com/NavasotaCWM and bvaadst.com.
Intro
Martin Luther King Jr. was born and raised in the American South, but his dream of racial equality and social justice reverberated out of his region, into the whole country and around the world. And it just wasn't his vision that spanned the globe -- the man himself embarked on travels far and wide.
Editor's note: Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, some of the indoor venues mentioned in this article could be temporarily closed or have limited capacity. Be sure to check their websites or call before you make visitation plans.
You can honor him on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, January 18) or anytime of year by walking in his footsteps or reading about his journeys online.
From his homeland in the heart of the South to unexpected destinations far beyond America's shores, here are the places that shaped and inspired the man:
Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia's busy capital city is King's birthplace and his final resting place. As such, it probably has the biggest claim on his legacy and MLK-related sites.
Many of them are clustered together at the MLK Jr. National Historical Park in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood of downtown Atlanta. Interior tours of buildings in the park are temporarily suspended in accordance with CDC guidance on the Covid-19 pandemic, but you are still free to take a self-guided outdoor tour, including the tombs for MLK and Coretta Scott King.
Some of the highlights include:
Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church: This is where MLK was baptized and where he co-pastored with his father starting in 1960. It's been magnificently restored inside and out to how it appeared in the 1960s and is an ideal place for prayer and quiet reflection. 407 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30312; +1 404 688 7300
MLK Birth Home: You can still see the exterior of the two-story house where MLK was raised, when Sweet Auburn was the epicenter for African American life in Atlanta. 501 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30312; +1 404 331-5190
The King Center: Coretta Scott King established the The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in 1968. Almost 1 million people would visit annually pre-pandemic to learn more about the Kings' public and private lives and to pay their respects at their tombs, the reflecting pool and the eternal flame. 449 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30312; +1 404 526 8900
Just a few miles away, prestigious Morehouse College is King's alma mater. (In fact, MLK Jr. was one of numerous King family men to attend college there). The campus grounds are a lovely place to take a stroll where the young collegian walked. 830 Westview Dr. SW, Atlanta, GA 30314; +1 404 215 2608
About the photo: The residential portion of the Sweet Auburn Historic District, including the home where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was born at rear right, is seen Wednesday, June 6, 2012, in Atlanta.
Memphis, Tennessee
For a city of its size, Memphis has an outsized influence on the nation's musical, cultural and political history. The United States was deep in turmoil and scarred by violence when King came to Memphis in March 1968 in support of striking sanitation workers.
King and his group were booked at the Lorraine Motel, a safe and welcoming place to stay for black travelers at the time. On April 4, King was standing on the balcony outside of room 306 when he was shot and killed.
Today, the Lorraine is the site of the National Civil Rights Museum, where you can learn about the broad sweep of civil rights history as well as see the room where the man who changed America spent his final living hours. The museum is temporarily closed but will have virtual programs at noon and 6 p.m. Central Time on Monday, January 18. 450 Mulberry St., Memphis, TN 38103; +1 901 521 9699
If you would like to also like to eat where King often broke bread, visit the soul food restaurant The Four Way. Opened since 1946, it serves Southern favorites such as fried chicken, turnip greens and lemon meringue pie (said to be an MLK favorite). 998 Mississippi Blvd., Memphis, TN 38126; + 1 901 507 1519
Montgomery, Alabama
It's difficult to overstate the impact of King's time in the segregated capital of Alabama during the mid-1950s. His coordination of the long bus strike after Rosa Parks famously refused to yield her seat put him on the national and international map.
Today, Montgomery has numerous must-see civil rights attractions, including The National Memorial for Peace and Justice (open with capacity limits) and the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University (currently open weekdays; virtual tours available).
These following King-specific sites are closed for now, but you can see their exteriors:
Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church: This church was founded in 1877 in a slave trader's pen and was originally called Second Colored Baptist Church. King served as its pastor from 1954 to 1960. It was from here he planned the bus boycott and other efforts to dismantle segregation. 454 Dexter Ave, Montgomery, AL 36104; +1 334 263 3970
Dexter Parsonage Museum: This is the clapboard house where King lived -- and which was bombed several times during the civil rights struggle. 309 S Jackson St, Montgomery, AL 36104; +1 334 261 3270
About the photo: The home where Martin Luther King changed from Montgomery pastor to national civil rights leader, pictured here on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003, in Montgomery, Ala., has been restored to its 1950s appearance. The one-story, white house near downtown was the parsonage for Dexter Avenue Baptist church for nearly 80 years, but King was its most famous resident.
Birmingham, Alabama
The industrial powerhouse of the South and a bedrock of integration opposition in the mid-20th century, Birmingham also figured prominently in King's life.
It was from Alabama's largest city, after all, that he penned his famous "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" in 1963, in which he passionately defended nonviolent civil disobedience to skeptical white ministers who questioned his tactics and perceived impatience at the pace of change.
You can see the actual door from his jail cell at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (open with Covid-19 precautions in place) as well as important documents and oral histories from the civil rights movement. 520 16th St N, Birmingham, AL 35203; +1 205 328 9696
About the photo: The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader, goes to jail in Birmingham, Ala., May 8, 1963, after being convicted of parading without a permit.
Washington, D.C.
It now seems inevitable that King's march for justice took him beyond the Deep South to the nation's capital. Visitors are being urged to avoid DC leading up to the inauguration, but you may want to enjoy these MLK highlights in Washington down the road:
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial: The first memorial to honor an African American individual on the National Mall, it opened to the public in 2011 and features a powerful 30-foot statue of King emerging from boulders. You can also read inspirational quotes made in carvings on the site. 1850 West Basin Drive SW, Washington, DC 20024 (closest Metro station is the Smithsonian)
The Lincoln Memorial: Fittingly, it was from the steps of this beloved memorial that King gave his most famous speech -- "I Have a Dream." Sit on the steps, close your eyes and just imagine the atmosphere there on August 28, 1963, as more than a quarter of million people filled the National Mall to hear what became one of the most important speeches in US history. 2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NW, Washington, DC 20037
The National Museum of African American History And Culture: The museum made an excellent addition to the capital's many fine institutions when it opened in 2016. The museum contains artifacts directly related to King as well as a sweeping look at the contributions and tribulations of black Americans. 1400 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20560; +1 844 750 3012
Boston, Massachusetts
While several cities in the South claim part of the King legacy, it may surprise some folks to know that Boston, that bastion of New England, also was a key place in shaping his life.
Before returning to the South, King attended Boston University in the early 1950s. Just as you can walk in the undergraduate's footsteps at Morehouse, you can do the same for grad student King at BU. 771 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215; +1 617 353 3710
You may want to go to the grounds of the impressive Massachusetts State House, where King addressed a joint session of the legislature in April 1965. 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133
According to WGBH, a 22-foot memorial will rise on Boston Common by early 2022 to commemorate MLK and Coretta Scott King (this is the city, after all, where they met and where they began married life).
About the photo: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., center, is presented a large rose by Mrs. Virgil Wood, right, who is shaking hands with King's aide Rev. Ralph Abernathy outside the Patrick Campbell School in Roxbury section of Boston, Mass., April 22, 1965.
Bimini, Bahamas
Combine a gorgeous island getaway with some MLK history on Bimini, the western most outpost of the Bahamas and just 50 miles off the coast of Florida.
King would come here to relax and craft his speeches, including notes for his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech he gave in Oslo, Norway, in 1964.
CNN Travel's Lilit Marcus reported in a 2018 article that "there are two busts of King on the island -- one in front of the Straw Market in the center of Alice Town and one among the very mangroves where King spent so many peaceful afternoons."
The Bahamas is open to US citizens. Click here for entry requirements.
About the photo: Martin Luther King Jr., at Bimini, a tiny Bahamian Island off the Florida coast, where he came to write his speech of acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize on Nov. 19, 1964.
Ghana
The civil rights struggles in the United States and the end of colonialism in Africa came at the same time and naturally the movements dovetailed.
In 1957, the Kings went to Ghana in West Africa to attend its independence ceremony from Britain, according to the King Encyclopedia at Stanford University. In the capital of Accra, he met then-Vice President Richard Nixon, among others.
His first overseas trip, Ghana a profound effect on King. Upon his return to the United States, he said, "Ghana has something to say to us. It says to us first, that the oppressor never voluntarily gives freedom to the oppressed. You have to work for it."
Before the pandemic, Ghana was emerging as a prime tourist destination not just in West Africa but the entire continent. It is open to US visitors. While many people come for the beaches, wildlife and food, it also holds important historical sites.
That includes Cape Coast Castle, which was a hub of the transatlantic slave trade. A visit there is a somber reminder of centuries of oppression and its ramifications during MLK's time up to today. Victoria Road, Cape Coast, Ghana, +233 024 587 3117
India
Mahatma Gandhi's crusade of nonviolent resistance to liberate India from British rule deeply influenced King.
In February and March of 1959, King embarked on a five-week tour of India to learn more about the movement that inspired him. In Delhi, he met with Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, among others. He talked with students at New Delhi University.
Eventually he made his way to Calcutta (now called Kolkata), India's intellectual center. Martin Luther King Sarani, a street named for him in the heart of the city not far from the Victoria Memorial.
In Bombay (now called Mumbai), King visited Mani Bhavan, which is where Gandhi worked and lived for 17 years. Today, it's a museum where you can see artifacts from Gandhi's life, though India is not open to US tourists as of mid-January 2021. 19, Laburnum Raod, Gamdevi, Mumbai-400 007, India; + 022 23805864
About the photo: American civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. removes his shoes before entering Mahatma Gandhi's shrine in New Delhi, India, Feb. 11, 1959.
Online
If you're simply not able to make it to any of these places in person this year, trace the journeys of King online at Stanford University's extensive King Institute. It's a deep dive into his life, yet easy to navigate.
