A great day in Atlanta - Day 41 (6/30)

Yesterday, Michael and I enjoyed a lazy morning at my niece Kathleen's house before heading downtown in the afternoon to take a visit the Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolence and Social Change with my niece and her son Turner.  We also hoped to take a tour of the CNN Studios, but we got there too late.  We'll make up for that today.

Anyway, we got to walk through the Ebenezer Baptist Church where MLK preached, which is a national historical site.  Inside, they have the music and sermons that MLK made when he preached regularly there.  It was very moving and humbling to be in a place where this extraordinary man honed his craft.

We also visited his grave site and toured the Civil Rights Museum that is part of the national park.  What I find interesting is that the children of today have a difficult time relating to a time when there was so much overt segregation and racism.  While Kathleen and I were not old enough to live through the Civil Rights Movement, we talked about how the 70's were still a time of great change.  It was kind of like a second reconstruction era that followed the Civil War.  There was still a great amount of racial tension then that kids today can't relate to.  I kind of liken it to me trying to relate to the talks my dad had with me about growing up in the depression.  Anyway, seeing the kids walk through the museum and trying to explain the exhibits with the pictures of the sit-ins, fire hoses, and segregated schools is a concept that is so foreign to them.  Of course, bigotry and racism still exists and it still very prevalent in society, but today's kids don't relate to it in the same way as we did because they haven't experienced it in the same that we did.  Anyway, just my observation.

Michael, Turner, and me at MLK's church

Inside the church

Where MLK and Coretta are laid to rest.

Photos of Rosa Parks at the Civil Rights Museum

The carriage that carried MLK's coffin during his funeral procession

Michael and Turner standing in the Freedom Walk Exhibit

Later in the day, we all went to dinner over my good friend Matt McCarthy's house.  It was great seeing him and meeting his wife Karen and their son Michael.  Matt will join us today at the Braves game.

Atlanta is a great city.  It is the most progressive and cosmopolitan city in the South as far as I'm concerned.  We hope to take a couple of more tours today at CNN and the Coca-Cola museum before we go to the Braves game where they will play the Baltimore Orioles in Turner Field with some great friends of mine.  We've got some great seats and we hope to arrive early to catch a couple of batting practice balls in the outfield.