The Wandering Disciple

From this humble home in the Sweet Auburn section of Atlanta came the starting chapter of the journey of a pioneer in Civil Rights. This is the birthplace of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Dr King's childhood was shaped here as he spent the first twelve years of his life here.  Today the home sits as part of the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site operated by the National Park Service. The childhood home is joined by Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr King preached, historic Fire Station 6 and a museum that help preserved the legacy of Dr King and his fight to equality.  Taken: December 20, 2014 at Martin Luther King Jr National Historical Park (Atlanta, GA)

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Today we honor Dr Martin Luther King Jr and his impact on the not just the civil rights movement but his impact on the nation. Today's we are living though some of the most turbulent moments we have seen in our lifetime. From the social injustices and uprisings, the political turmoil and insurrection to the loss of life from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing a level of instability that most of us have never witnessed. But still today, the words of Dr King provide a beacon of light in these troubling times. So as the events of our world continue to shape us, ask yourself where do you stand? (Photo: December 20, 2014)

Ebenezer Baptist Church has been the spiritual center of the Sweet Auburn community of Atlanta. Since its inception 1886, it has served this community and later served a keystone in the Civil Rights movement.  It is here where Dr Martin Luther King Jr would get baptized, become an ordained minister at the age of 19, co-pastor the congregation with his father from 1960 until his death in 1968 and later hold his funeral.  The preaching of Dr King are still alive in this church and you can visit it as park of the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Historic District, a tribute to Dr King and his impact on society.  (Photo: December 21, 2014)

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in time of challenge and controversy." These words echo the true spirit of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. It wasn't easy to face the onslaught of hate groups, challenge the oppression of Southern political leaders, standing up for what you believe in is right even if it meant being arrested twenty nine times or marching from Selma to Montgomery knowing you will be facing an army of opposition along the way. But Dr King never let a challenge stand in the way of what was right. And today as we honor Dr King's legacy, we remember "There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right." It may not be easy, it may not be popular but let it be right. (Photo: December 20, 2014)

While most people think of his "I Have a Dream" speech on the National Mall in Washington DC as his most notable works, Dr King's Letter from Birmingham Jail is my favorite piece that he has written.  From a tiny jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr King wrote one of the most important pieces of the civil rights movement.  In the letter, Dr King urged the peaceful protesters to take action by breaking the unjust laws rather than wait for the courts to deem these laws unjust.  In the letter Dr King wrote that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." You can learn more about Dr King and his impacts on the civil right movement by visiting the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: December 20, 2014)

“We will know one day that God made us to live together as brothers and to respect the dignity and worth of every man. This is why we must fight segregation with all of our nonviolent might. Segregation is not only inconvenient—that isn’t what makes it wrong. Segregation is not only sociologically untenable—that isn’t what makes it wrong. Segregation is not only politically and economically unsound—that is not what makes it wrong. Ultimately, segregation is morally wrong and sinful.” It is from this pulpit at Ebenezer Baptist Church in the Sweet Auburn community of Atlanta where Dr Martin Luther King Jr delivered powerful sermons like the “American Dream” sermon in which the above passage comes from. From this tight knit congregation, Dr King spread messages of equality and a nation where all men, woman and children would be equal.

They vowed to be together forever, Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Coretta Scott King are side by side in their final resting place in the center of the reflecting pool at Freedom Plaza in Atlanta. (Photo: December 20, 2014)

This home in the Sweet Auburn section of Atlanta was the birth home of the civil rights pioneer Dr Martin Luther King Jr.  Today you can tour the home and follow in the footsteps of Dr King in this historic district which honors the progress that he had in the civil rights movement.  (Photo: December 20, 2014)

Atlanta, Georgia: The sweet Auburn Community in Atlanta is home to the most powerful civil rights leaders our country has ever known. His legacy is alive and well at the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site where visitors can pay tribute to Dr King’s legacy by walking through the streets of his childhood. The vision of preserving the history of this neighborhood began in 1974 with several building being added to the National Register of Historic Places. The preservation expanded in 1977 when it was declared a National Historic Landmark. The Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site was finally established in 1980 and included roughly 35 acres historically significant buildings. A visit to the historic site begins with a stop at the Visitor’s Center. A walk down the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame through the Gandhi Promenade will lead you from the parking lot into the Visitor’s Center. Here you will find exhibits that chronicles the life of Dr King and...

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