Sadly, I didn't know much about the man, beyond what the textbook entries describe. But that would all change with my visit. It was one of the most powerful experiences of my life.
My friends and I set off on foot that sweltering afternoon from our midtown hotel. We were to first visit Atlanta City Hall to pay our respects to another great Atlantan, Maynard Jackson, the first African American mayor of that city. Then, we would walk to Dr. King's tomb making visits to Ebenezer, the MLK Center, and his boyhood home, all located within a few blocks from each other.
The walk turned out to be much longer than we anticipated, but we endured anyway, sensing the importance of learning more about this man, and also about Atlanta.
I can't say for certain that any one aspect of our day trip was the trigger for my intensely emotional experience; Maybe it was the long walk, en masse, in the southern heat of summer, as Dr. King had done in so many cities (even under threats of violence and death);
Maybe it was the impact of the stately funeral for Atlanta's landmark statesman;
Maybe it was seeing firsthand, the run-down homes and shops of Atlanta's poorest neighborhood;
Maybe it was just being inside the church where a truly great man inspired a nation.
Maybe it was all those and more.
No matter. I learned more than I expected to that day. I learned more about Dr. King, more about the idea of "America, " more about our humanity and inhumanity, and much, much more about myself.
I also learned just how far we have come, and how far we have yet to go.
