Our day began today with a lengthy drive from Birmingham to Memphis. Our days have been very full and it was a nice change of pace and enabled everyone to relax a little and catch up on some much needed sleep. Upon our arrival to Memphis, half of our group sampled the delicious dry rub seasoning at the legendary Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous Ribs & BBQ. The restaurant has been serving their famous Memphis-style ribs since 1948.
After lunch, we arrived to the Lorraine Motel, the site of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968. For the past week our group has been learning about King through the viewing of handwritten letters and documents, videos of his famous speeches, first-hand testimonies, and a myriad of resources provided to us by staff. We have walked in his footsteps as we crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. I feel as though I have come to know him. I’ve been to his birth home, his burial site and churches where he has delivered his sermons and assembled the community to plan for non-violent protests and marches. How blessed were we to have such a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement in America, a man of deep faith and moral courage.
According to Jewish tradition, people are given three names in life: The Name given to a person by their parents, The Name given to a person by others such as friends and peers, and The Name a person gives themselves, which is considered the best name. This is the name we earn by the way we live. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lived his life in the service of others in an effort to abolish racial discrimination and has earned the respect of many around the world. Micah 6:8 reminds all of us To Do Justice, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with Your God.
The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel is a beautifully designed museum with many varied exhibits ranging from art exhibits, a chronological timeline beginning with the forced migration in West Africa and ending with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stepping onto the balcony of Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel and being struck by a bullet which kills him at age 39. I mourned the loss of this champion and his visionary leadership today. I also have a dream…that our four grandchildren will inherit a just and kinder world filled with love and everlasting peace.
Our last two stops on our tour this afternoon included the I AM A MAN PLAZA with its interesting aesthetics and the chronology on the ground of the events that took place in Memphis and the Mason Temple where King gave his famous I Have Been to the Mountaintop speech on April 3, 1968. Prior to our lovely Shabbat dinner at South on Beale, we visited the Withers Collection Museum & Gallery to peruse the extensive gallery of photographs of Ernest C. Withers.
Spending time in Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham with our amazing delegation of educators, community learners, students and staff before our arrival to Memphis has enabled me to expand my knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement and to build lasting friendships. I am eternally grateful for this wonderful opportunity!