Learning About Black History and US the Civil Rights Movement

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With the skies finally open, my buddy and I decided to reconnect for the first time since the pandemic. We had planned to go to Morocco in March 2020, but the pandemic grounded our plans. Getting there is still a challenge, so we looked at a “Plan B” closer to home. Outside of Florida, I haven’t been to the southeastern United States, so we chose its unofficial capital, Atlanta. I must admit I knew very little about the city before this trip…

During our nine days in the city, we explored a good chunk of it. As I grow older, slow travel is a better fit for me. Four things stuck with me after this trip.

The first was learning about the history of the civil rights movement in the United States during the 1950s and 60s. Atlanta was the home of Dr. Martin Luther King. While the United States has come a long way since those dark days, there is still more to be done. The Black Lives Matter movement is today’s primary focus. Atlanta has a lot of murals, and many of them document this struggle. The Atlanta Black History & Civil Rights Tour and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights were two must-sees for anyone wanting to learn more about the history of this movement.

Two markets that resonated with me were the Krog City and Ponce City Markets, which are upscale developments of historical buildings, including markets, offices, and condos. If you have been to Chelsea Market in NYC, you will get the idea. Both Krog and Ponce had fabulous food stalls that we called home for most of our lunches. ?

As with most cities in the United States, Atlanta is not easy to get around without a car. We could do it, though, but we were generally walking 15 to 20 minutes to get anywhere. For a city of six million people, their subway is not extensive. Atlanta does have an exciting urban park in development called the Beltline. It is an old 22-mile rail line circling the city that is being developed into a multi-use trail. The parts that are finished are fabulous, but it will still be some time until it is completed.

A few of the other notable attractions were the Georgia Aquarium (third largest in the world), Botanical Gardens, and Centre of Puppetry Arts (history of Jim Hanson’s work).

#Atlanta #BlackLivesMatter #CityTours

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Photos

Jellyfish
Jellyfish at the Georgia Aquariam, which is currently the 3rd largest in the world and home to whale sharks and beluga whales.

Black Lives Matter
Lots of murals around Atlanta dedicated to BlackLivesMatter, civil rights, and police brutality.

Atlanta Skyline
Grounds of the High Museum of Art

Centennial Park
Remember Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympic Summer Games

The Roof at the Ponce City Market
This market was fabulous on its own, but the addition of The Roof with its bars, restaurant, and arcade games was unlike anything else I have seen in the world. Great views of the Atlanta skyline…

Midtown Church
Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Midtown. Interesting optics from this angle…