The Damaging Commercialization of History

I stood within a few feet of the spot where Martin Luther King was shot dead today. But the weight of what happened at the Lorraine Motel sunk in the most when I looked out of the window that was close to where James Earl Ray stood when he shot King. I could make out the outline of the balcony from across the street, and the raindrops slowly sliding down the window seemed to reflect my mood perfectly. 

And while being close to the assassination site was hugely impactful, something else from the visit stuck out to me even more. After I walked out of the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, I turned around to take another look at the spot where King's life was ended. This time when I looked I saw the store front of the museum's gift shop that was located around fifty feet away from the balcony spot. I had just walked around in that shop, and I remembered that the merchandise in that window was not even civil rights related. It was sports gear--shirts promoting the Memphis Grizzlies. To me it was unfitting for there to be an ordinary store front that you could see in a shopping mall, right next to MLK's hotel room and balcony. It seemed like the museum was glorifying and commercializing the spot where a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement last stood. 

This observation was built upon when I saw the protest outside of the museum--Jacqueline Smith camped out with signs imploring people to boycott the National Civil Rights Museum, claiming they were misusing public funds and misrepresenting Martin Luther King's legacy. Smith lived in the motel while working there as a housekeeper. She was evicted in1988 when the motel was closed and converted to a museum, and has sought for some sense of justice in the following years. Smith's experience speaks to the gentrification of the museum's surrounding community, as houses were demolished and replaced by expensive condos and businesses seeking to cater to tourists. Smith also said the museum did not represent King's legacy, and that he would not have wanted $27 million spent on a testament to him while the locals of the community were forced out. 

The commercialization and gentrification of the Lorraine Motel shows how even testaments to Civil Rights Leaders can be susceptible to economic and tourist driven motivations, in turn having damaging effects on the communities which those same leaders had built a legacy fighting for.  

-Pablo Richter, Baltimore City College

I felt heartbroken

Today we had went to where Martin Luther king was assassinated and I felt heartbroken. He made a change and people didn't want him alive so they took his life away. I'm glad I got to learn more about where he was killed and I'm glad that I got to experience it even though it's not a happy site but it was something to learn about.

Denisha Harper, City Neighbors High School

It finally hit me

Today was the most emotional day for me. We stood where it was never meant to be a memorial or a museum. I felt the most sadness at the Loraine's Motel than throughout the whole trip. I learned about Martin Luther King jr. all my life and heard his story so much I really knew it. So to stand where I have been reading about since I was young made me feel sad and hurt. It finally hit me, all that I have done on the trip and all that I learned. 

- Diavione Finney, City Neighbors High School

Guilty

Visiting Medgar Evers house was amazing. The house itself was beautiful for a black man at the time. Standing in the driveway where he was actually killed made me feel guilty. Guilty because I was able to stand and just stare when he was trying to make actual change. It made me want to do more as a person and activist. The house felt so warming yet so cold at the same time. 

- Diavione Finney, City Neighbors High School

what plans God has for me

The meeting with Roscoe Jones was the most inspiring to me Wednesday. Roscoe's story itself about how he could have been dead as well. I couldn't stop thinking about how close he was to death but it legit wasn't his time to go. It made me think about God and his plans for everyone. I wonder what plans God has for me. 

- Anonymous

not excited to say goodbye

Today, was a great last day! We left Super 8, and wrote post cards to our sponsors. (I wrote one to our high school principal.) We took off an headed to the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Visitor Center and went into the high school itself. We got an overview of what happened there, like Elizabeth Eckford being the first to come to Little Rock Central High School in attempt to go to class and integrate, but was blocked by the National Guard. However, later on President Dwight Eisenhower hired federal troops to come and protect the Little Rock 9 so they could attend the school. One kid who lived in the neighborhood thought that the Russians had invaded. That's how much commotion there was.

   We took photos of the school and entered their auditorium, and heard more about the Little Rock 9 and how they were treated. We left the school, and came back to the Visitor Center and heard Dr. Sybil Hampton speak. She was so inspirational and intentional. She talked about her experience being ignored for 3 years at school, being spat on, and having no one to support her other than the vice principal and the school secretary. Her overall message was to hold on to hope, and know that even through difficult times, you should understand that you and your actions have a purpose, one that can help the future generation. It was also interesting how supportive her parents were about her attending the school, compared to what the parents of the other activists thought. This reminded me about Martin Luther King Jr. and the way he was raised. It seems that they were both successful because of the positive support. I found it to be pretty cool that Dr. Hampton mentioned Ta-Nehisi Coates and his book and how we came to the same conclusion that he was not hopeful about the future for black lives. 

   We left Little Rock Central High School got some pizza, socialized, and talked about underrated people in our society. Someone had thought a photographer was an underrated person, which I found pretty fascinating, since the photos seem to have more attention than the person who took them. We know famous photos but not photographers, which is a point that I think he also brought up. Coaches were also on the list, but I didn't agree with it because my coaches are valued at my school. However, at another school that might not be the case. We had discussions before about different schools, before we came to Little Rock Central High School, and it was cool how it all connected.

   We arrived at the National Civil Rights Museum. We took some photos outside of the Lorraine Motel. It was interesting how when we went in, the first exhibit related to people we underrate. We watched an intro video, who's projector screen slid over, revealing the museum. We didn't have a lot of time to look over everything, but there we read about Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, and other topics that we had gone over, like sit ins. After buying some gifts from the gift shop, we checked the other museum across, which focused on the shooting of Martin Luther King Jr.. The shooter was suspected of shooting a bullet through a bathroom window of a boarding house, which the second museum took place in. We left, seeing a lady boycotting the museum, and came back on the bus.

   

We dropped our stuff at the Quality Inn and went to Beale Street. We were free roaming the streets with friends and ended up at Blue City Café. I had some fried catfish and shared some gumbo fries. I am just so grateful for the friends I've made as well as the places I've seen. I really hope that I will stay in contact with them and see each other sometime. I am excited to come home and sleep in my bed, but definitely not excited to say goodbye, goodbye to the South and the great people I have met, kids, teachers, activists alike. I had a really great time, and I hope that most people agree with me on this.

   

Nina Feliciano, The Park School

I am black too

   Today was my breaking point. I broke down crying in the middle of the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel where, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Everything that I saw and heard on this trip like museums, exhibits, and activists got to me. Today, I also better understood my identity. In the National Civil Rights Museum today, I saw that blacks were from the Caribbean also. Since I'm also from the Dominican Republic, I realized that I am black too. We're all black. Our ancestors are black. I am very appreciative of this trip and I am going to take this experience with me for the rest of my life. Thank you.

Anonymous