King’s Legacy: Is It What He Wanted? by Giovanni Marciano

One of the last stops on our Freedom Ride Class was Memphis, Tennessee. There we visited Lorraine Motel, infamous as the place where Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed on April 4, 1968. He was in Memphis to help organize and support a march for striking sanitation workers, who were being paid wages so low that they could work a full forty hour week and still qualify for welfare supplemental income from the government.

The Lorraine Motel now stands as a civil rights museum in memory of King. The museum has a timeline that starts with the 1619 arrival of  slaves in English America and ends in the late 20^th century. King’s motel room, the last place he stayed before the assassination is at the end of the museum, and was reconstructed to look like it did when he when he slept there the last night of his life.

The feature of the museum that sent chills down my back was the documentary movie “The Witness.” The movie followed King from his last speech “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” to his assassination. It allowed me to see and hear him make his final speech. One thing that sticks with me is his ominous phrase: “I may not get there with you.” King knew his assassination was a matter of “when not if”. King talks about how he wants to be remembered: as a man that tried to help others. He wished for a simple and humble burial as he tried to live his life.

There is debate as to whether King’s wishes were respected. Some activists point out that King would not have wanted the Lorraine Motel to become a massive multi-million dollar museum in his honor. Other places, such as King’s home in Atlanta, have also undergone massive renovations in order to become museums in his honor. Activist Jacqueline Smith, the last resident of Lorraine Motel, has been protesting the Lorraine Motel museum now for nearly twenty five years. She has created a protest camp on the street across from the Lorraine Motel where she educates museum goers on her position. She points to King’s writings and his biography for the proof that King would not have approved of what she describes as the commercialization of his legacy to benefit people other than the lower income families he sought to help during his life.

The other side of the debate points to the merit of making some of these landmarks museums. Museums like the Lorraine Motel have educated thousands about the civil rights movement and more generally civil rights. Without historical centers like the Lorrain Motele or the King home in Atlanta, history would be lost as these buildings would be used for something else or possibly destroyed. Beyond telling the history of the civil rights movements these centers serve an even more important purpose: teaching how to keep the civil rights struggle moving forward. It is hard to look at the struggle of black Americans trying to gain equal rights and not draw parallels with our present day civil rights struggle: gay rights and immigrant rights. Maybe if more people went to museums like the Lorrain Motel and  its message of equality for everyone spread our society could make real progress on these problems too. 

National Civil Rights Museum – written by Brendan Farley

Wednesday May 10 brought our Freedom Rides class to Memphis, Tennessee, the second to last stop of the trip. Upon our approach to the Lorraine Motel Museum, the place where Dr. King was assassinated,  a lady, who sits on the corner protesting the museum, greeted us. Jacqueline Smith keeps vigil there as a solo protestor, and she engaged us in an interesting conversation.. Smith has been there for 24 years 92 days non-stop. She believes that Dr.King would have wanted the Motel to be a homeless shelter which was its use becoming a museum. She argues that the museum does nothing for the disadvantaged community in which it is located it, and would be much more beneficial if it were used for a different function. While Smith is probably right when she states that Dr.King would have wanted the hotel to be used in a fashion that gives back to the community, I found her protest troubling. I do believe that a shelter would be very beneficial to the community; however I believe that the museum serves as an incredible educational experience for everyone who visits it. The museum is first class and a great resource for Americans especially the youth of our country learning about Civil Rights, such as myself. In my opinion, the education and information offered by the museum is an acceptable alternative to other possibilities for the motel, such as a shelter.

 

A picture of Jacqueline Smith protesting outside the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.

To me, the most impressive part of the museum is the video which introduces visitors to the exhibits. The film deals mostly with Dr. King and describes in depth that he was in Memphis to help organize a march to help the city sanitation workers who were on strike. It also explained Dr. King’s ‘Mountaintop’ speech; the last speech he would give before James Earl Ray took his life. While seeing and hearing the atmosphere in which Dr. King gave the speech, a speech that he had not written but gave from the depths of his heart, chills shot through my spine. In his final speech King famously said, “I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land”. Over the years King had countless threats made on his life, so many that he asked to stop hearing about them. However with this final speech it seemed as though Dr. King knew that his time had come as he tried to pass confidence on to those listening so they could finish what he started. Of all the short movies we saw throughout our travel of the south this one belonged in a category of its own.

The Mason Temple Church, the place of Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘Mountaintop’ speech.

Have You Seen Dr. King’s Promised Land?-posted by Alina Pankova

National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee

On May 9th, we arrived to Memphis, Tennessee. This was one of the last stops on our trip, but it was definitely one of the most memorable cities we visited. Our exploration of the Southern states is nearly over; however, our blogs simply do not do justice to the incredible places we visited and all of the memories we accumulated. Honestly, if I hadn’t taken this class, I doubt I would have ever experienced the life in the South- four out of six states we visited were completely new to me. In Memphis, we went to the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel. This particular site was extremely touching, and I experienced a mixture of emotions as we looked at the exhibits of the museum. The Lorraine Motel is widely recognized as a place where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. After the museum was built to commemorate the Civil Rights Movement and the legacy of Dr. King, there has been some controversy regarding the ultimate purpose of the building. Jacqueline Smith has been sitting outside of the former motel and protesting the idea of the museum for over 24 years because she believes that its potential can be further investigated to address the needs of less fortunate people who still live in adversity. Even though I understand the reasoning behind her opposition toward city’s decision to honor the Civil Rights Movement and its leaders, at the same time this museum is one of the most impressive and educational places I have seen on our trip. I think it does an amazing job highlighting and depicting the history of long lasting struggle for equality. The museum attracts visitors from all over the United States and also from other countries: we saw a large group of tourists from the Netherlands who was analyzing all of the exhibits with great enthusiasm. Since Martin Luther King, Jr. greatly emphasized the importance of serving others, I think the city of Memphis should make extensive efforts to create several opportunities for people living in poverty instead of shutting down the museum.

I Am A Man. Strike by Sanitation Workers in Memphis, Tennessee

Inside the museum, we watched a documentary film that reflected on Dr. King’s last few days in Memphis when he came to the city to help organize a non-violent strike for sanitation workers who demanded higher pay and shorter hours for their hard, yet highly unappreciated work. Sanitation workers were predominantly African-American citizens who were forced to put up with unjust work conditions to make a living; they wanted recognition for their contribution to society. “I Am a Man” became the main slogan for their strike because they refused to be mistreated and disrespected by the city’s officials. In the film, Reverend Samuel  Kyles shared his personal story about the events in Memphis as he stood next to Dr. King on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel when the nation’s prominent leader lost his life. Rev. Kyles mentioned that Martin Luther King, Jr. was constantly receiving serious threats, but what shocked me the most was the fact that apparently MLK had a feeling that he was going to die before the age of forty. In the end, he was only 39 when his life was taken away. As I walked out of the theater after watching the film, tears were running down my face. I kept hearing the voice of Martin Luther King, Jr. as he gave his last speech in Memphis: “And I may not get there with you. But I want you to know that we, as people, will get to the Promised Land. So I’m happy tonight. I am not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!”

Mountaintop. The last speech of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee

Those powerful words didn’t simply stir up my emotions; years earlier they reinforced the Civil Rights Movement’s ultimate goal of achieving equality and eliminating racial hatred. In Walking with the Wind, John Lewis quotes Bobby Kennedy’s reaction to the death of Dr. King: “I am sorry, John…You’ve lost a leader. We’ve lost the leader” (406). Martin Luther King, Jr. was a prominent figure of the Civil Rights Movement; moreover, he sacrificed his life for his ultimate dream of integrated society where people “will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Unfortunately, after his death, the leadership position that he occupied was never fulfilled. However, the fact that the movement continued demonstrated that even death couldn’t destroy the hopes and desires of those who dreamed of equality and racial harmony.

The Death of a King-posted by Matthew Locke

I will never forget my experience at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.  The Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed on April 4, 1968, has been turned into a historic site commemorating both his life and the Civil Rights Movement in general.  Even before entering the museum, however, a woman named Jacqueline Smith caught the attention of our class.  For exactly 24 years and 90 days, Ms. Smith has been protesting the existence of the National Civil Rights Museum because, in her opinion, it is not what Martin Luther King, Jr. would have wanted and it devalues his legacy of helping the poor.  Ms. Smith apparently had been living in the hotel before King’s assassination, and she claims that others in the area who used to occupy the hotel and surrounding areas have been forced to leave because of the impact this museum has had on property value in Memphis, resulting in mostly white people being able to live and conduct business in the area.  Most of the students in our class disagreed with what this woman was saying, and even I agree that her language was very racial and could have been mistaken as offensive.  But I ultimately did agree with her that Martin Luther King, Jr. would have been more concerned with using his legacy to aid the poor instead of building an expensive memorial to honor his life.  After seeing the museum, though, I was convinced that the powerful emotional and educational aspect of the National Civil Rights Museum was worth any adverse effects that may have come from it.

Inside of the museum, our class learned about many of the same historical figures and events that we have been learning about throughout the trip such as the four men who started the lunch counter sit-ins in North Carolina.  Also, original documents—such as a sign in Dallas, Texas, that read ‘NO DOGS, NEGROS, MEXICANS’—continued to shock me as I reflected on the extent of segregation during the Jim Crow Era.  But nothing moved me more than a 20-minute video that was played in the museum about Dr. King’s last days.  From the perspective of Reverend Ralph Abernathy, who was with King in the hotel hours before his death, the video highlighted the fact that King died fighting for the rights of sanitary workers in Tennessee.  Although King was never poor himself, it always amazes me how this man dedicated his life to those less fortunate than him and how he truly empathized with the poor in America.  I can honestly say that while watching the end of the video it was hard for me to hold back tears.  His murder was such an evil act, but the video focused on the positive impact of King’s life and the legacy of peace and love that continues to be remembered about Dr. King today.

After watching the video about King, the class had a chance to see the actual room where King and his fellow preachers stayed and spent time together the day he was shot.  This was another very emotional experience for me.  Similar to our previous visit to the spot where Emmett Till was killed, the room King stayed in before his assassination also gave me a feeling of horror just to stand in the spot where he fell after being shot.  I was at a loss for words, and I will probably never forget the way I felt looking over that historic balcony where Dr. King died.

The next day our class visited Nashville, home of Fisk University where Diane Nash was a student and John Lewis attended seminary not too far away at American Baptist College.  This was an important location in keeping up the Freedom Rides during the 1960’s, and it was great to end our two-week trip on this historically-black campus.  One of the major themes of this trip has been the effect of young men and women, primarily college students, during the Civil Rights Movement.  As a student at Washington and Lee, I hope that I can continue to stand for the justice that Dr. King endorsed because I still feel that his dream has not been completely realized yet and that more must be done in order to achieve true equality in America.

Traveling Meals: By Lauren Michnick

As our trip comes to a close, I would like to focus this blog on an aspect of our travels that seems to have been overlooked. As important as our daytime adventures to schools, memorials, museums, and meetings with historians have been, the meals our class has enjoyed together have been quite amazing. At the start of this course, I knew two of my classmates very well; I knew who two others were; and there were seven that I did not know.  I also had never had a class with Professor DeLaney before and had no idea what to expect. After only four days in class, we were off on our trip. I was soon to find out that meals spent speaking of our days, and learning more about my peers would become the favorite part of my day. While we spent all of our meals together every day, a few nights in particular were more noteworthy than the others.
After experiencing soul food for the first time at Mrs. B’s at lunch time in Birmingham, our class went to dinner with three alumni who live in the area. One was partner at a law firm, another worked at the same law firm, and the third was finishing his first year in law school. As a politics major who plans to attend law school after graduation, these individuals were exceptionally interesting to me. Everyone enjoyed hearing about what these former Washington and Lee students were up to now as well as some of the crazy adventures from their times at W&L. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting these three men and had a great time at dinner.
In Montgomery, Alabama our class found ourselves at a hibachi restaurant for dinner. This was a great experience because many of my classmates had never encountered a hibachi grill before. We even had our own private room. Dinner was excellent and it was nice to see people step out of their comfort zone and try something new.

In New Orleans, my classmates and I exposed Dean Futrell and Professor DeLaney to a game similar to Pictionary, a phone application called Draw Something. With this, the games began. Dinner was filled with laughing and even some crying as a result of this simple game. While it is not the most academic game, it was a great way to bond with the class and Professor DeLaney. At this point we were halfway through our trip, and enjoying every minute of it.

In Greenwood, Mississippi Dean Futrell and Professor DeLaney shared some of their personal stories of experiences with racism. I was amazed at some of the stories I heard and how recent many of them were, but what I was more touched by was the fact that Dean Futrell and Professor DeLaney were willing to share their stories. Although these were not happy stories, I learned a lot from this dinner.

In Memphis, we had dinner at another Japanese restaurant. Again we had our own private area to eat. However, this was no ordinary eating space. We all took off our shoes and sat on cushions on the floor. While it was not the most comfortable I have ever been eating, it was a really interesting experience to eat while sitting on the floor.
Although meals were not nearly the most important part of our trip, I just wanted to take the time to recognize how great many of them were. It has been a wonderful experience traveling with Professor DeLaney, Dean Futrell, and the rest of my classmates. As we head back to campus, I know I will never forget the time we all spent together and the places I saw. This truly was a life changing experience.

Mixed Feelings in Mississippi-posted by Matthew Locke

There was not much to see during our stay in Mississippi except for a spot located in Money, Mississippi, where fourteen year-old Emmett Till was murdered for flirting with a white woman working at Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market.  I have heard the story of Emmett Till many times before, but actually going to the spot in Mississippi where this atrocious crime took place was quite chilling to say the least.  First of all, the location of Bryant’s Grocery store literally seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, and I could understand how young Emmett Till from Chicago would have been scared in those  parts of Mississippi. As a black man myself, even though I did not have any racist encounters in Mississippi, I would still say that I did not feel 100% comfortable there and the horror of Emmett Till’s murder still seemed to linger in the air.

From a legal standpoint, though, I am not only appalled by the kidnapping and murder of Emmett Till, but also the fact that neither of his murderers were convicted, even after selling their confession to a magazine once the trial had concluded.  When I think about the Civil Rights Movement, it always amazes me how much legal injustice was tolerated, even by those who created and enforced the law during the Jim Crow era.  The fact that two men who brutally beat and killed a fourteen year-old boy and threw his body into a river were not convicted is shameful to America’s legal justice system.  As someone who wants to be a lawyer in the future, I can only hope that I will always focus on justice and not stand by silently when injustice is done.  As stated by Martin Luther King, Jr., injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Another place that some of us had a chance to visit was the University of Mississippi’s undergraduate campus.  From the time we drove onto the campus, I was impressed by the beauty of the school and the amount of pride that students seemed to have at that institution.  From the large fraternity houses to the red bricks and white columns, Ole Miss somewhat resembled Washington and Lee in many aspects (on a much larger scale).  While I liked the school, though, I still noticed some things on that campus that were somewhat disturbing.  First, the school mascot is still the ‘Rebels’, which was interesting to me because my high school in Illinois was also called the ‘Rebels’, but there was a lot of controversy over that name during my time there because of its relation to the Confederate army during the Civil War.  Also, on Ole Miss’ campus there were also street signs, statues, and monuments in and around campus that were named ‘Confederate’ or referenced soldiers that fought for the Confederate army.  I understand what some call a ‘proud history’, but I also understand how some could be offended by the use of such titles given their meaning in American history.

Lastly, our class visited the statue of James H. Meredith, the first African-American student to enroll at the University of Mississippi.  Above his statue is a sign that simple says “Courage”, which in my opinion is a perfect description of a young man who was a major figure in the Civil Rights Movement by integrating the Mississippi campus and opening up higher education for all citizens.  Like John Lewis, Diane Nash, and other college student leaders who were influential during the 1960’s, James Meredith was another pioneer for the young generation of African-American men and women, and to those like him I owe a debt of gratitude for their sacrifices.

I’m Sick of Livin’, and Scared of Dyin’- by Renata Carlson

On Monday our group went to the National Civil Rights Museum, located at the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King was asssassinated in 1968.  The museum, however, was much more than a shrine around Dr. King’s death.  It provided a good outline of African-American history after Reconstruction, including the various events of the Civil Rights Movement.  For me the two most moving parts of the gallery depicted racist media from the early 20th century, and the video describing Dr. King’s death.  The gallery was fascinating because it made me look at certain modern images more closely.  ‘Old Man River’, which I had always only seen as a beautiful song, had many racist overtones which I had never really looked into.  For example, actor Paul Robeson was classically trained and held a degree from Columbia Law School, but the best job that he could find was of a stock character.  Blacks were no longer slaves, but were not really free; at one point Robeson’s character sings “I’m sick of livin’, and scared of dyin’” which I feel really captures that idea.  The fact that these talented actors and actresses, even today, cannot find many non-stereotypicroles is saddening, and a trend that I hope changes someday.

The video was also surprisingly moving, especially the eulogy part where the ‘witness’, a minister who had been on the balcony with King when he was shot, pointed out how incredibly well-qualified the man was and yet he was killed helping out garbage men instead of making millions of dollars.  He also pointed out that King will never grow old, which in my view means that he will never sell out or fade away from our memory.

I think that it is hard for me to understand why King’s death, or Robert F. Kennedy’s death just weeks later, were so detrimental to America at the time.  John Lewis’s book, describes the grief of the political audience when RFK told them of King’s death which is something I don’t really understand.  Lewis argues that for many at the time, both King and Kennedy stood for the idea that our nation could be changed for the better.  With their deaths the US seemed to once again dive into corruption and confusion of which we have not yet emerged.

Jacquelin Smith keeps vigil outsite of the museum where she protests that its costs should have been used for social programs which would benefit the poor. Americans already know about Dr. King.  I would argue, however, that this museum was incredibly informative and captured the complexities of the movement.  It was not just a museum dedicated to King, but a museum dedicated to the whole movement which King made into his life.