lorraine

The shots above are from the Lorraine/Civil Rights Museum which was a chilly and moving experience. I felt the same as when I went to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in D.C. It seemed wrong to be there poking around such tragedy and yet I wanted to understand, to know for myself all the textures. I got into a long conversation with my brother Kemp about this. How it makes so much sense to me that there are protesters against the museum and the money spent preserving such a tragic location. Still, I am one of the many who went through the doors of not just the Lorraine but also the boarding house across the street where James Earl Ray "allegedly" shot Martin Luther King, Jr. As I've heard with the Holocaust, another violent tragedy of course, these rooms, scraps of clothing, and letters are preserved so we don't forget the end of any violent act. For those of you reading my book, you know how much violence and assassination weigh in (much less civil rights) and so it was a service to me to actually recall the fact that some people just aren't ever going to get it. "It" being not to harm another. That this museum does only so much but hopes to reverse negative conditioning and rage, well, it's money well spent. So, here I am, confessing that the protesters have missed part of the point. This is just my voice, of course.

I couldn't take photos or video anywhere inside but this is truly a well designed and comprehensive museum that I could not encourage visiting enough! The video at the link toward the end of this blog (via the website) shows some interior footage. My favorite design touch was a ramp constructed to be a portion of the Selma, Alabama bridge where many marches were held. The museum does a wonderful job of making the experience as if one is moving through the past be it a bridge, a bus, or a lunch counter. The bus had amazing advertisements such as "Lupis - Join Us And Learn How To Live With It." The boarding house is honestly the hardest part because no matter what one believes about the shooter, the space is both presented as and feels rather horrific. From the bleak lighting and the glass platform where you stand and view the balcony, I found myself utterly disturbed and moving much more quickly. As stated, it was challenging for me but could have such an effect on another that it halts a terrible idea.

One last anecdote, I love museum gift shops and nearly always buy, broke or not. I almost bought a vintage keychain that the Lorraine used in the late '60's but I literally felt my palms sweat holding it and decided it was in my eyes, sick. I wanted to see, to know, to remember but there was nothing material to take. The keychain just made me want to cry. Martin Luther King, Jr. knew that what he was doing would lead to his death. Who, with children and wife, is that willing to risk it all for everyone (because let's be honest, he never got to see much of what he accomplished)? Below is a video of his last speech, which Atheist or spiritual one may be, knowing all this and hearing his voice further shows he was and is an inspiration. His courage was without bounds.



Learn more about the museum here.