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The weather was beautiful yesterday, a perfect day to take my brother to the National Civil Rights Museum. He had never been to Memphis before and wanted to experience all the essential sights: Beale Street, the mighty Mississippi, Graceland, and, of course, the Civil Rights Museum. As a teacher, he was eager to bring that experience home with him. Looking at the calendar, I realized we had to go on April 4th—the somber anniversary of Dr. King's assassination—a realization that imbued our visit with an even deeper sense of purpose.
Though not typically one for tourism, I'd never visited the museum myself, and it was well worth the trip. The Museum is housed in the Lorraine Motel, weaving through the deep history of the civil rights movement. Our journey through the exhibits took us from the harrowing realities of slavery and the rum trade, through the Civil War, and the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. We followed the oppressive thread of Jim Crow laws, boarded a replica bus with Rosa Parks, and saw a burning bus representing the Freedom Riders. The narrative then led us to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King Jr. shared his transformative dream. At the end, we found ourselves in Room 306, where the civil rights icon spent his final night. Standing there, a palpable silence fell over us, a quiet reverence for the man who slept there, just steps from where his life was tragically taken across the street.
As we left the museum, a crowd of a few hundred onlookers, a diverse tapestry of ages and backgrounds, had gathered, all united in commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.'s life throughout the afternoon. This gathering was part of the larger MLK50 event. Although video sharing was somewhat constrained, I can convey the powerful essence of the event. I recall, in particular, the compelling speech by Reverend Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd. She is a fantastic speaker, truly capturing the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. with that same "fire in the belly" Southern spiritual cry for human rights. It was a moment you truly had to experience to feel; her selection for that speech was clearly with good reason.
At 6:01, a wreath was placed at the door of Room 306, followed by a profound moment of silence. It was a silence that spoke volumes, a collective breath held, acknowledging the exact moment a light went out but a legacy ignited. An invitation was then extended to sign the MLK50 Pledge:
A Call to Peace and Action
“No Justice, No Peace; Know Justice, Know Peace” is our rallying cry.
On this day, we, in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., call for peace. A peace that is more than the absence of war. We call for a just peace. A peace where all humans have the rights of security, prosperity, good and free education, accessible and plentiful food, clean water, and a planet free from disastrous pollution to calamitous climate change. We call for a just peace. A peace where people are able to resolve conflicts without resorting to violence. A peace committed to understanding, celebrating, and learning from difference. A peace grounded in what Dr. King called the Beloved Community. It takes more than words to bring about peace. It takes action. Action that decreases hostility between people and actions that promote trust so that our words have meaning. Action must occur within a vision. We call on ALL people to imagine a world without poverty, hunger, and homelessness. Imagine a world where we reject racist ideologies and replace them with an all-inclusive spirit of love for ALL people. Imagine a world where we resolve disputes by peaceful conflict-resolution and true reconciliation. Imagine a world where love and justice triumph.
“No Justice, No Peace; Know Justice, Know Peace” is our rallying cry.
But, it will take more than vision to bring peace. We must face the injustices of the past and acknowledge the injustices of the present, no matter how painful. This means we must find a way to talk WITH each other instead of AT each other. It will take all of us searching deep within our own souls, taking what some call the “inward journey of self-reflection.” It will take all of us to name those things we would rather hide—those things that stop us from being our better selves. We must not only name them but also begin the process of purging those things that stifle our growth and the growth of others. This will lead us to form and develop communities of understanding that will walk, talk, and stand with us. It is in this spirit—with humility and mutuality—that we will come together with one another and build a community of peace and goodwill for all humankind.
“No Justice, No Peace; Know Justice, Know Peace” is our rallying cry.
Contributed by: Assistant Professor Andre E. Johnson, Department of Communications, University of Memphis. The day was a powerful reminder that while much has been achieved, the work for justice and true peace, as envisioned by Dr. King, remains an ongoing journey for us all.
