Twenty one years ago I took my family to Atlanta, Georgia. It was the first time that they had been to America. After flying into Hartsfield Airport on a Friday evening, we picked up a hire car and headed south. The following day we reached Apalachicola in northern Florida.
We were there for three nights before heading down to Orlando to visit Disneyworld and Universal Studios. Then we drove up to Savannah, Georgia for three nights before getting back to Atlanta The circle was complete but there were two days left to get to know Atlanta itself.
One of the things I very much wanted to do was to visit Martin Luther King's grave and the nearby Ebenezer Chapel where he preached plus The Martin Luther King Junior Historical Center.
These sites are situated just east of Atlanta city centre. The distance is about a third of a mile and I decided we could easily walk it. No need for a bus or a taxi. Halfway there, I remember a plain clothes cop confronting us as he stepped out of a parking lot. He held up his police badge and seemed genuinely concerned for our safety, "What you folks doing here?"
In a small green area along our route, two other cops - in uniform - had just wrestled a man to the ground and were putting handcuffs on him. Shirley was gripping my arm tightly.
We carried on feeling a little perturbed but soon reached The Ebenezer Chapel where one of Dr King's speeches was playing over the speakers. Soon we arrived at the great man's grave - on a kind of island. We didn't have to queue for long to pay our silent homage.
Next, we went over to the historical center which contained an array of exhibits that thoughtfully told the story of the freedom struggle and the civil rights movement for which Martin was of course an amazing and courageous spokesman. It was very moving.
But here's the thing and the main reason I have created this blogpost. After walking away from Atlanta city centre, we did not see one other white person. No white people in The Ebenezer Chapel, no other white people at Dr King's grave and none in The Martin Luther King Junior Historical Center either. Previously, I had imagined that Americans of all creeds and colours would be present in the area like pilgrims but no, they were all black! Perhaps it was just that afternoon and on other days the racial make-up of the crowd would be mixed but I don't think so. The sad realisation spoke volumes to me about equality.
After leaving the historical center, Shirley insisted that we should catch a public bus back into the city centre. After all, we did not wish to end our holiday by being gunned down as the black detective had intimated could easily happen.
That's a rather startling thing to learn. We learned the same thing in Washington D.C. The Micro Manager had been at the mall all day while I was at my conference. she wanted to take me down to the mall after dinner. There were absolutely no people around the White House. I got a very creepy feeling and said let's get out of here as fast as we can.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you got a creepy feeling because Donald Trump was looking out at you with his MAGA binoculars.
DeleteThat's so sad, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteIt felt that way to me. I was surprised.
DeleteOdd, your visit, because I';ve been a few times and always seen a very diverse crowd.
ReplyDeleteI can only say what I witnessed.
DeleteNo white people go there? That's really sad. Does no white person care about all the good he did? Fear of being gunned down is why I will never visit America.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it was just that day but it was my experience. Looking at The Trump Brigade - how many of them would honour Martin Luther King Junior?
DeleteThis was more than 20 years ago, but I suppose it won‘t be much different now. Sad, yes, but I am even more glad that you and your family went there.
ReplyDeleteHere in Germany, especially in rural parts in the north east, are no-go areas for anyone who looks like they come from elsewhere. Personally, I would not be in any danger there, but I boycott that part of Germany as a form of silent protest.
Racism seems never to go away, it seems. Our species should know better, but as a whole, we never learn.
I am sure that there are thousands of white Americans who honour Martin Luther King as I do but there are thousands of others who simply bite their tongues.
DeleteAn interesting theme, YP. I'm re-reading Ken Follet's "Edge of Eternity". It's set in the 1960's and deals, in part, with the black people's struggle to be treated as equal. There are horrifying accounts of their treatment. I imagine many white Americans will still not accept that equality.
ReplyDeleteI think so too but they have learnt to keep quiet.
DeleteThat is such a sad post to read. I wonder if the citizens of the US are reasonably frightened of black people on the street, or just have media influenced paranoia.
ReplyDeleteMost Australians will have heard of Dr Martin Luther King and know he was a good bloke, if not any detail. "I had a dream...".
I am really surprised you were the only white people at historical centre. No white school groups? Maybe
No white school groups that day.
DeleteThe city of Atlanta has a very high percentage of Black people living there, probably the majority. And just like any major city, there's lots of crime. I wouldn't feel especially safe walking around Atlanta, not because of racism but because of the rate of violent crime. Of course there's plenty of racism in the US, too, but I'm not sure that's the reason for the small turnout at the MLK grave and historical center. Maybe you went on a slow day?
ReplyDeleteI certainly went on a slow day for white Americans.
DeleteIt could have been just one of those days, who knows. Sad if some Americans do not acknowledge one of their heroes, but aren't we going through the same sort of problem here. Not recognising that a lot of our National Trust houses were built on the back of slavery.
ReplyDeleteIn those days many lower class white people in this country were little better than slaves. Working hard for minimal reward. Harriet Beecher Stowe acknowledges this in "Uncle Tom's Cabin".
DeleteThere is still a lot of progress to be made.
ReplyDeleteIt is perhaps a battle than will never be won.
DeleteI have been surprised by the ethnic mix of people at various places over the years. Most recently was my trip to tour the inside of the Whitehouse earlier this year where as a white Caucasian, I was in a very small minority.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to guess, I would expect wealth plays a significant part. It seems as most of my peers plan destination vacations where they go to one spot and spend lots of money. Those that seem to visit sights like MLK's grave, are probably more likely to be on the move and not spending lots of time or money in any one spot.
In spite of that, the white population of America is much bigger than the black population.
DeleteThe years are ticking though of when we will be just another minority. I think in around 20 years or so.
DeleteYour posts are always interesting to read. As an American, I finished reading this post with some sadness as racism still is a major issue that we face. In addition, gun violence is a problem too. There's lots of work to be done.
ReplyDeleteDemocracy and freedom require constant maintenance. The battle is never done.
DeleteAtlanta is about 48 percent black, and 39 percent white, and as I recall it's not especially well mixed. (It IS the South, after all.) I'm sure King's church must be located in a historically black area, so it makes sense that you'd see predominantly black people in the neighborhood. It's more surprising that there were no whites at the visitor's center. I imagine that's not always true, though I've never been there, and I admire King greatly.
ReplyDeleteYes - it is of course a black neighbourhood but I was referring to visitors at the grave, the church and the historical center. Maybe one day you will go there yourself.
DeleteOn our way to Florida one Christmas season we had a plane change in Atlanta and decided to spend the night there. We stayed in a Hyatt hotel with a huge atrium and walked through Atlanta Underground, enjoying all the different styles of music coming through the open doors of the various drinking establishments, as well as street sellers peddling hot chestnuts. And referencing Red's comment above, I recall being amazed on my first visit to Washington to realize that the White House was right in the center of a bustling commercial city and was right across the street from a pizza restaurant!
ReplyDeleteOh yes. We visited Atlanta Underground too. It was buzzing like a bee hive.
DeleteI’ve always wanted to visit Atlanta
ReplyDeleteBut that’s because The Walking Dead was filmed there
I’m so shallow
We also visited the Coca Cola factory and visitors' centre. Atlanta is the home of Coca Cola.
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