This blog post was updated on September 4, 2018.
Atlanta played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement. The city’s current inhabitants are extremely proud of this history (and they should be).
There are a variety of historical tours focused on the Civil Rights Movement that you can take the next time you’re lucky enough to score cheap flights to Atlanta.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tour (50 Auburn Avenue, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30312): Visitors can tour Dr. King’s birth home as well as the nearby Ebenezer Church where Dr. King’s father was a pastor. It is also possible to honor the late Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, by visiting their gravesites.
International Civil Rights Walk of Fame Learn more about Civil Rights leaders as you walk along a path of 2’x 2′ granite markers with the actual footprint impressions human rights activists such as Rosa Parks, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Ambassador Andrew Young, US Congressman John Lewis, and others.
Sweet Auburn Tour Auburn Avenue is one of Atlanta’s most historic streets. It features the childhood home of Dr. Martin Luther King, as well as the birthplace of many influential African-American businesses.
Herndon Home (587 University Place Northwest, Atlanta, GA 30314-4126) Alonzo Herndon was a former enslaved African-American who opened the Atlanta Life Insurance Company in 1905. Thanks to his business acumen, he became one of the wealthiest men in the city. The Herndon Home (it’s a mansion, really) was his residence. It has been transformed into a historic site with exhibits and regular tours.
Atlanta Apex Museum (135 Auburn Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30303): The Apex Museum is dedicated to presenting African-American history through a variety of exhibits, tours and events. It’s a wonderful place to spend an afternoon learning about Atlanta’s rich and fascinating African-American culture and history.
“MLK Sculpture,” Flickr photo credit: Matt Lemmon
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