Day 3: Rosa Parks, Southern Poverty Law, and Dr. King's Home

posting by: Ieisha McIntyre

Day three of our journey included a visit to Montgomery, Alabama's Rosa Parks Museum. Where we learned about the struggle for human dignity that was waged at first by a determined few of the Montgomery Improvement Association and then grew into a battle for civil rights that lasted a total of 381 days and included the participation of the entire black community of Montgomery, Alabama.  

[The National City Lines bus, No. 2857, on which Rosa Parks was riding before she was arrested (a GM "old-look" transit bus, serial number 1132), is now a museum exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum.]

After lunch, we ventured over to the Southern Poverty Law center.  There we were warmly greeted and invited into the center where we witnessed the wall of martyrs.  Those who have died in the struggle to obtain human rights and/or those who had had their human rights stripped away from them on the basis of their race, religion, ethnicity, or perceived sexual orientation.  

While in the Southern Poverty Law Center we viewed a moving film which detailed the efforts and accomplishments made in the struggle for Human Rights and took the opportunity view the Wall of Tolerance and to sign the pledge that states:

By placing my name on the Wall of Tolerance, I pledge to take a stand against hate, injustice and intolerance. I will work in my daily life for justice, equality and human rights - the ideals for which the Civil Rights martyrs died.

(If you click the link for the wall of tolerance, you will see an example of the wall. For those of us who signed the pledge, our names will appear there for others to see as they visit.  If you get an opportunity to do so, you will get a chance to see our names appear on that wall.)

If you would like to know about those in your community working for justice and you would like to Stand strong against hate, then click the link.  If you would like to learn more about hate groups in your area, what they believe, and what they are doing in your area then check out The Hate Map.

Our final visit of the day was to the home of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that he shared with his young wife Coretta Scott King while he was pastor of the Dexter Ave. Baptist Church  our tour was led by a lovely and vibrant woman, Mrs. Foley, a retired teacher and a former member of Mrs. King's young matrons club.  Mrs. Foley was a frequent attendee of Mrs. King young matron's teas. The parsonage is not longer in use as such, but the house still feels like a home with all the warmth, love, and comfort for which one might hope.  It was certainly a personal highlight for me on our pilgrimage.



Come back soon for Day 4: The Voting Rights Institute and the Slavery Museum of Selma, Alabama.