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El Parque Histórico Nacional Martin Luther King Jr. cubre aproximadamente 35 acres (0,14 km 2 ) e incluye varios edificios en Atlanta , Georgia relacionados con la vida y obra del líder de los derechos civiles Martin Luther King Jr.Dentro del parque se encuentra su hogar de la infancia y el Iglesia Bautista Ebenezer original , la iglesia donde King fue bautizado y tanto su padre Martin Luther King Sr. como él eran pastores .

Historia [ editar ]

Estos lugares, fundamentales para la interpretación de la vida de Martin Luther King Jr. y su legado como líder del Movimiento de Derechos Civiles Estadounidense , se incluyeron originalmente en las listas de Sitios Históricos Nacionales o Monumentos Históricos Nacionales establecidos por primera vez el 10 de octubre de 1980. El sitio fue ampliado y designado como parque histórico nacional a través de un proyecto de ley bipartidista defendido durante mucho tiempo por John Lewis y firmado el 8 de enero de 2018 por el ex presidente Donald Trump . [3]

En total, los edificios incluidos en el sitio suman 35 acres (0,14 km 2 ). El centro de visitantes contiene un museo que narra el Movimiento de Derechos Civiles de Estados Unidos y el camino de Martin Luther King Jr. El Centro King para el Cambio Social No Violento incluye el lugar de entierro de King y su esposa, la activista Coretta Scott King . Una estación de bomberos de 1894 ( Estación de Bomberos No. 6 ) sirvió a la comunidad de Sweet Auburn hasta 1991, y ahora contiene una tienda de regalos y una exhibición sobre la eliminación de la segregación en el Departamento de Bomberos de Atlanta . El " Tengo un sueñoEl "Jardín de rosas de la paz mundial internacional" y un homenaje a Mohandas K. Gandhi son parte del sitio, al igual que el " Paseo de la fama de los derechos civiles internacionales ", que conmemora a algunos de los valientes pioneros que trabajaron por la justicia social.

En 2019, la Fundación del Parque Nacional compró la Casa de Vida del Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. en Sunset Avenue, donde la familia se mudó en 1965, de la finca de Coretta Scott King y la transfirió al Servicio de Parques Nacionales para su restauración antes de que sea restaurada. abierto al público como una ampliación del Parque Histórico Nacional. [4]

Annual events celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January typically draw large crowds. Speakers have included Presidents of the United States, national and local politicians, and civil rights leaders. Remembrances are also held during Black History Month (February), and on the anniversary of King's April 4, 1968, assassination in Memphis, Tennessee.

Preservation[edit]

Grave site

The Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District, an area bounded roughly by Irwin, Randolph, Edgewood, Jackson, and Auburn avenues, was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on May 2, 1974.[1][5] The district included Ebenezer Baptist Church, King's grave site and memorial, Dr. King's birthplace, shotgun row houses, Victorian houses, the Atlanta Baptist Preparatory Institute site, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Fire Station No. 6, and the Triangle Building at the intersection of Old Wheat Street and Auburn Avenue.[5]

Much of the area was designated as a national historic landmark district on May 5, 1977.[2] The Trust for Public Land purchased 5 single-family homes along Auburn Avenue in the late 1970s, the same block Martin Luther King Jr. grew up on.[6][7] The Trust for Public Land purchased more than a dozen properties over the next 20 years to create a parking lot as well as a pedestrian greenway to link the King district to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Center.[6] In 2008, The Trust for Public Land acquired one of the remaining historic properties in the neighborhood, on the corner of Auburn Avenue.[6]

By U.S. Congressional legislation, the site with associated buildings and gardens was authorized as a national historic site on October 10, 1980; it is administered by the National Park Service (NPS).[8] A 22.4-acre (91,000 m2) area including 35 contributing properties was covered, including 22 previously included in the NRHP historic district.[8] The area covered in the NRHP designation was enlarged on June 12, 2001.[1] In 2018, it was redesignated as a national historical park, adding Prince Hall Masonic Temple to the protected area.[9]

Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birth Home[edit]

King's boyhood home

The King Birth Home is located at 501 Auburn Avenue in the Sweet Auburn historic district. Built in 1895, it sits about a block east of Ebenezer Baptist Church.[10] King's maternal grandparents, Reverend Adam Daniel (A.D.) Williams, who was pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, and his wife, Jennie Williams, bought the house for $3,500 in 1909. In 1926, when King's father married Alberta Williams, the couple moved into the house, where King Jr. was born in 1929.

The King family lived in the house until 1941.[11] It was then converted into a two-family dwelling. The Rev. A. D. Williams King, Dr. King's brother, lived on the second floor in the 1950s and early 1960s.

The first level includes the front porch, parlor, study, dining room, kitchen, laundry, bedroom and a bathroom. The second level includes four bedrooms and a bathroom. The visitor center offers free tours of the house led by National Park Service rangers, but with limited availability.[12]

The King Center[edit]

In 1968, after King's death, Coretta Scott King founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (a.k.a. the King Center).[13] Since 1981, the center has been housed in a building that is part of the King complex located on Auburn Avenue adjacent to Ebenezer Baptist Church.[14]

The King Center in 2016, close to the Ebenezer Baptist Church, at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.

In 1977, a memorial tomb was dedicated to King. His remains were moved to the tomb, on a plaza between the center and the church. King's gravesite and a reflecting pool are located next to Freedom Hall. After her death, Mrs. King was interred with her husband on February 7, 2006. An eternal flame is located nearby.

Freedom Hall at 449 Auburn Avenue features exhibits about Dr. and Mrs. King, Mahatma Gandhi and American activist Rosa Parks. It hosts special events and programs associated with civil rights and social justice. It contains a Grand Foyer, large theater/conference auditorium, bookstore and resource center, and various works of art from across the globe. The Grand Foyer features art from Africa and Georgia. The paneling lining the staircase is from the sapeli tree, which grows in Nigeria.

In 1990, Behold, a statue honoring Martin Luther King Jr., was dedicated near Ebenezer Baptist Church.[15]

As of 2006, the King Center is a privately-owned inholding within the authorized boundaries of the park. The King family has debated among themselves as to whether they should sell it to the National Park Service to ensure preservation.[16]

Visitor center[edit]

Courage to Lead exhibit at the visitor center

The visitor center at 449 Auburn Avenue[17] was built in 1996 and features the multimedia exhibit Courage To Lead, which follows the parallel paths of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. Visitors can also walk down a stylized "Freedom Road". The Children of Courage exhibit, geared towards children, tells the story of the children of the Civil Rights Movement with a challenge to our youth today. Video programs are presented on a continuing basis and there is a staffed information desk.[18]

Gandhi Promenade[edit]

The statue of Mohandas Gandhi was donated by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, India, in collaboration with The National Federation of Indian American Associations and The Embassy of India, USA. The inscribed bronze plaque reads:[19]

Nonviolence, to be a potent force, must begin with the mind. Nonviolence of the mere body without the cooperation of the mind is nonviolence of the weak of the cowardly, and has, therefore, no potency. It is a degrading performance. If we bear malice and hatred in our bosoms and pretend not to retaliate, it must recoil upon us and lead to our destruction.

— Gandhi

Tribute to the Mahatma Gandhi was inevitable. If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. He lived, thought and acted, inspired by the vision of humanity evolving toward a world of peace and harmony. We may ignore him at our own risk

— Martin Luther King Jr.

International Civil Rights Walk of Fame[edit]

The "International Civil Rights Walk of Fame" was created in 2004 and honors some of the participants in the Civil Rights Movement. The walk along the Promenade, includes footsteps, marked in granite and bronze. According to the National Park Service, the Walk of Fame was created to "pay homage to the "brave warriors" of justice who sacrificed and struggled to make equality a reality for all." The new addition to the area is expected to enhance the historic value of the area, enrich cultural heritage, and augment tourist attractions.

The "Walk of Fame" is the brainchild of Xernona Clayton, founder and executive producer of the renowned Trumpet Awards and a civil rights activist in her own right. Ms. Clayton said, "This is a lasting memorial to those whose contributions were testaments to the fact that human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. This historic site will serve as a symbol of pride and a beacon of hope for all future generations. We are looking forward to building a monument to the civil struggle that depicts every step taken toward the goal of justice and the tireless exertions and passionate concern of these dedicated individuals."[20]

Prince Hall[edit]

Located at 332 Auburn Avenue, the Prince Hall Masonic Temple is where the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) established its initial headquarters in 1957.[21] This historic and distinguished civil rights organization was co-founded by Dr. King, who also served as its first president. Owned by the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia, the building was included within the authorized boundary of the park in 2018.

Photo gallery[edit]

  • The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park honors the life of Dr. King

  • Shotgun houses on Auburn Ave. directly across from Dr. King's boyhood home

  • Shotgun houses in historic district

  • Late 19th/Early 20th century homes on Auburn Ave. in the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District

See also[edit]

  • List of National Historic Landmarks in Georgia (U.S. state)
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Fulton County, Georgia
  • List of areas in the United States National Park System#National historical parks
  • Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History
  • Behold, 1990 statue

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2009-01-31. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
  3. ^ Hallerman, Tamar (January 9, 2018). "Trump signs bill upgrading Atlanta's MLK site". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved 2018-02-06.
  4. ^ Fortin, Jacey (2019-01-25). "Martin Luther King Jr.'s Last Home Is Sold to the National Park Foundation (Published 2019)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
  5. ^ a b Mendinghall, Joseph Scott (1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District (Landmark)" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-06-28. Cite journal requires |journal= (help) and Accompanying 11 photos, from 1965 and 1972–1974 (4.99 MB)
  6. ^ a b c "Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site". The Trust for Public Land. Retrieved 2018-08-03.
  7. ^ Benepe, Adrian (2017-08-18). "Whose Parks, Which History? Why Monuments Have Become a National Flashpoint". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-08-03.
  8. ^ a b Robert W. Blythe; Maureen A. Carroll & Steven H. Moffson (October 15, 1993). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-06-28. Cite journal requires |journal= (help) and Accompanying 75 photos (16.9 MB)
  9. ^ "Trump signs bill to upgrade Martin Luther King's birthplace to national historic park". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  10. ^ Virtual Tour of Birth Home
  11. ^ "The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Places that Commemorate His Legacy". Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  12. ^ "NPS: Fees and Reservations". National Park Service. July 22, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
  13. ^ Gary L. Anderson, Kathryn G. Herr, Encyclopedia of Activism and Social Justice, SAGE Publications, USA, 2007, p. 804
  14. ^ "Future of King Center Up in the Air". Jacksonville Free Press. February 9–15, 2006. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  15. ^ "Behold Monument". National Park Service. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  16. ^ Lohr, Kathy (January 16, 2006). "King Family in Dispute Over Atlanta Center". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  17. ^ "The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change". Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  18. ^ "Visitor Center - Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)". Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  19. ^ "The Gandhi Promenade at the MLK National Historic Site". Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  20. ^ "International Civil Rights Walk of Fame Announces 2014 Inductees". The Birmingham Times. December 19, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  21. ^ "Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park Act of 2017, Senate Committee Report" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-01-09.

References[edit]

  • Coleman, Wim. Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, Enslow Pub. Inc, (2005) - ISBN 0-7660-5225-7

External links[edit]

  • Official NPS website: Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park
  • Ebenezer Baptist Church official site
  • The King Center
  • International Civil Rights Walk Of Fame Announces 2008 Inductees
  • International Civil Rights Walk of Fame
  • Atlanta, Georgia, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary