There was a sense of perseverance on the grounds of the King Center Monday, as the King federal holiday fell on Inauguration Day.
Families and other visitors braved the cold, celebrating King’s legacy and finding ways to rejoice in winter coats. Despite wind-biting temperatures, the crowd at Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park was full and festive.
Dope Pedalers Bike Club cycled to Ebenezer Baptist Church, on the corner of Jackson Street and Auburn Avenue.
Outside Ebenezer, whose stained glass murals sparkled like hope everlasting, a group danced the “Electric Slide” to Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday,” the iconic song written in honor of the Civil Rights Movement leader and widely adopted by Black folks.
While the line dancing provided a mood of celebration, The King Center‘s annual community service effort also stood, in some ways literally, on business.
Just outside Freedom Hall Museum, near heated tents, was the Beloved Community Empowerment Fair, where resources were provided for members of the public seeking career development and financial literacy assistance from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Job seekers from teens to adults sat to have their professional profiles critiqued and upgraded by human resource experts. Participants received guidance on entering the work field, and assistance on constructing resumes and cover letters.
Credit: Brooke Howard
Credit: Brooke Howard
Public information extended beyond career services. Representatives from Wellstar Health System were present, gave tips on preventive care.
“A lot of the community came out and provided great resources for career advancement, as well as financial literacy and health and wellness,” human resources consultant Nina Sanders said.
Credit: Brooke Howard
Credit: Brooke Howard
Academic advisor Dr. Elizabeth Rosner enthusiastically shared insight on securing debt-free postsecondary education.
Rosner, whose DebtFreeDegree organization partnered with the King Center for the fair, said the event was “fabulous.”
“It was a beautiful honor to Dr. King’s legacy to serve the future generations, teaching about career readiness, financial literacy health and wellness,” she told UATL.
Credit: Brooke Howard
Credit: Brooke Howard
Visitors from around the country were in attendance all around the Center.
Some gathered in Freedom Hall Museum to tour the exhibits, soaking up the living history. Members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council of Black fraternities and sororities also showed up in their Greek organizations’ letters and colors.
Children walked and sometimes skipped the blocks of the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, learning the names of Civil Rights legends along the way.
There were also voices of resistance present for the moment.
Protesters boycotted the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th U.S. president, holding picket signs and denouncing fascism. “In the name of humanity, we refuse to accept a fascist America!” read a banner outside the church.
Inside Ebenezer, where King, his father and grandfather preached, Monday’s congregants heard recordings of King’s speeches echoing around the historic pews.
Many of the messages resonated in today’s divided sociopolitical climate.
Credit: Brooke Howard
Credit: Brooke Howard
“The drum major instinct is real. … It often causes us to live above our means,” said King, whose voice from his 1968 “Drum Major Instinct” speech played in the house of worship.
“If this instinct is not harnessed, it becomes a very dangerous, pernicious instinct. For instance, if it isn’t harnessed, it causes one’s personality to become distorted. I guess that’s the most damaging aspect of it: what it does to the personality.”
Sanders called the day a success.
“Many organizations came together to serve the community,” she said. “It was a much-needed event for the community and fitting for MLK and what he stood for.”
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