Renya On the Road

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

10/22/12 Memphis Sightseeing:
National Civil Rights Museum

The Lorraine Motel is the site of the National Civil Rights Museum.

The wreath marks Dr. King's approximate place at the time of the shooting.

The Lorraine Motel had not only guests, but residents as well. The last resident of the motel, Jacqueline Smith, resided there since 1973 as part of her work for the motel as a housekeeper.
The irony: when faced with eviction for the museum project and demolishing and rejuvenating the neighborhood from run-down homes that rented for $175 a month to expensive apartments and condominiums, Smith barricaded herself in her room and had to be forcibly removed. Jacqueline maintained a vigil across the street from the Lorraine Motel for up to 21 hours per day for over 20 years, regardless of weather, taking a stand for her belief that Dr. King would not have wanted residents evicted and $9 million spent on a building for him. She still holds vigils outside the Lorraine, although not as consistently as she has in the past.

My self-guided tour of the museum was enlightening and deeply emotional, beginning with a film
called "The Witness - from the Balcony of Room 306" narrated by Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles, who was on the balcony with Dr. King at the time of his death. Most emotional to me was the level of Dr. King's unswerving commitment to do what he knew was his to do regardless of the several death threats. Rev. Kyles reminds us that Dr. King knew at 39 years that he would never make 40. He feared not for he had seen the glory. He just wanted to do God's will.

In addition to the permanent museum art installations, there was also a temporary literacy exhibit. I cried with deep sadness throughout my time there. Here are some pics and words from what I experienced.

Former slave writes, the South Carolina Stono Rebellion of 1739 resulted in legislation outlawing two forms of communication among slaves. The mastery of reading and writing and the mastery of "talking drums", both which enabled a rebellion. None of us was 'lowed to see a book or try to learn. They said we git smarter than they was if we learn anything, but we slips around and gits hold of that webster's blue-back speller and we hides it til way in the night and we lights a little pine torch, and studies that spelling book. We learn it too. - Jenny Proctor

One Louisiana law threatened anyone who taught a slave to read with a sentence of 1-12 months in prison. As I read this quote and made a disgruntled sound, the family reviewing next to me responded.... "and here we are! we've overcome!" I affirmed her and let out a rejoice!