Driving Back into Georgia's Martin Luther King, Jr. & Civil Rights History
Follow this three-day guide from Atlanta to Albany and the Georgia coast to tour places forever changed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and experience Black history in Georgia.
You can hear that familiar voice as you stroll through these revered places. His words flood your mind, and you feel chills knowing you're standing where he once stood.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream remains alive today, and his memory is preserved on the streets and in buildings around his home of Atlanta and across Georgia.
Atlanta is constantly changing, and has been since the 1960s, when folks began calling it the "city too busy to hate." Much of the Atlanta that Dr. King knew and loved is gone, replaced by new buildings, new businesses and new burbs.
But in a preserved part of the city named Sweet Auburn, where you can feed your mind, stomach and soul, Dr. King's boyhood home remains, as does the church where his voice proclaimed the good word to his congregation and a nation.
Dr. King's battles for equality sent him to cities throughout the state and South, where he encountered hostility and violence, all in the name of peace. More than 50 years later, you can drive these same roads and stop in these same cities as part of Georgia's Footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Trail, which brings his travels, sacrifices and accomplishments to a new generation wanting to know more about Black history in Georgia and Atlanta.
Let this itinerary serve as a guide to places that Dr. King touched, but enjoy the freedom to explore other sites across the state.
Look around. This is Dr. King's home turf. This is where he was born, raised, educated, preached and lived. There are buildings, statues and memorials honoring his legacy throughout Atlanta, especially in the Sweet Auburn Historic District.
A logical starting point is the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, where you can immerse yourself in his life with galleries and exhibits. And since other Dr. King sites are nearby, leave your car there and soak up the neighborhood's atmosphere.
Head to the house where Dr. King was born. It's still there, on Auburn Avenue, and tours are given every hour. Down the street is Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. King's father — known as "Daddy King" — and Dr. King himself eloquently spoke from the pulpit.
The church was the site of a memorial service after Dr. King's tragic death in 1968, and he now lies in rest at The King Center, which is next door. A reflecting pool and a flame mark the tomb, where he and his wife, Coretta Scott King, are buried.
After exploring the life of Dr. King, there are several local restaurants that offer delicious food steeped in rich history.
The Municipal Market dates back more than 100 years as the area's business hub. It's been revitalized into a modern food hall with a variety of restaurants. You can also buy fresh meats, seafood, fruits and vegetables.
Across town, in the historic neighborhood of Castleberry Hill and nearby Vine City, Busy Bee Cafe and Paschal's Restaurant, which hosted Civil Rights Movement leaders and activists, serve up Southern soul food. After a meal, check out the nearby campus of Morehouse College, Dr. King's alma mater, and the chapel named in his honor.
Many sites in the city of Albany, located in southwest Georgia, are so prominent that they also are included on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. This national effort spans 14 states and recognizes the path blazed by those in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s and 1960s.
The sites across the state and various locations make it possible for you to weave your own journey to retrace civil rights history in Georgia. You can head to Albany in the middle of your weekend trip or start here depending on your origination point.
To appreciate what you see in Albany, you have to know the timeline. It's best to brush up on your history before the trip, but if not, start with the Albany Civil Rights Institute in the restored Old Mt. Zion Baptist Church. The Albany Movement began in November 1961 with local members of the NAAP and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and other groups. Dr. King and the SCLC joined this desegregation campaign, making Albany a pivotal spot in the Civil Rights Movement and in your journey now.
Every second Saturday, you can hear the Freedom Singers perform at the Albany Civil Rights Institute. The group was formed in 1998 by original Freedom Singer, Rutha Harris. She was 22 in the 1960s, when the original Freedom Singers performed in 46 states, drawing aid and support for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.
Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, like Old Mt. Zion and other churches on the Footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Trail and U.S. Civil Rights Trail, hosted Dr. King and held meetings for those involved in the movement. Throughout the state, churches played roles in Dr. King's life and continue to honor him and his family today, including Rocky Mount Baptist Church in Rex and Floyd Chapel Baptist Church in Stockbridge.
Longtime dining establishments include Carters Grill & Restaurant, located right near the Albany Civil Rights Institute and in existence for more than 45 years.
If you were to create a playlist for your journey, Georgia's Ray Charles would be appropriate. While in Albany, pause at a bronze sculpture of the singer at the city's Ray Charles Plaza; at night, it lights up.
Your journey can end on Georgia's wondrous coast, or flip the script and start here. Either way, these sights in and near Savannah aren't to be missed.
This is where you'll find Dorchester Academy in Midway. Check your GPS and pull off I-95 and head inland. Dorchester began as a school for freed slaves after the Civil War. Then it became a fully accredited high school. Dr. King often visited it. He played baseball on its fields, and in its rooms he slept, rehearsed speeches and planned the 1963 march in Birmingham, Ala.
In Savannah's acclaimed squares, the city's famed live oaks drenched in Spanish moss elegantly frame black historical sites in Georgia's oldest city. On Franklin Square, First African Baptist Church holds the honor of being one of the oldest African-American Baptist churches in North America. Its history is one of Sunday services but also voter registration drives and hosting Dr. King in the 1960s. It dates to 1777 (and even a few years earlier, unofficially). Its pastor in the late 1930s to mid 1950s is the namesake of Savannah's Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, where you'll find three levels of exhibits and photographs about the city's civil rights struggles.
You can't leave Savannah without dining in a restaurant that genuinely captures historic charm. A former Greyhound bus station is now where Mashama Bailey, chef and co-owner, and her staff, bustles to serve expectant diners her "port-city Southern cuisine" at The Grey. Gullah-inspired rice and peas and fresh fish are among the fine dining options, making that reservation worth it. Or, pop into The Grey Market for more casual fare in a Southern lunch counter setting.
An overnight stay in Savannah fits any budget, from affordable chain hotels to frilly beds & breakfasts to luxury boutique hotels. For additional ideas on places to stay on your trip and local deals, sign up for Georgia's free email newsletter.
If you drive back up from Savannah to Atlanta, stop over in Dublin to see its own First African Baptist Church, where Dr. King delivered his first public speech at 14 years old. Located across the street is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Monument Park, which features a mural highlighting the need for future generations to carry Dr. King's message of peaceable change onward through the years.
These touchstones from history bring the civil rights era to life and offer more than a few photos and souvenirs. Witnessing the memories of Georgia's civil rights past can provide a journey of meaningful discovery, and bring a renewed sense of direction and momentum to our current lives.
