The last home of Martin Luther King Jr. will be opened to the public as part of a project that aims to preserve the legacy of the US civil rights leader.
You would never guess to look at it, but the unremarkable house in the Vine City neighbourhood of Atlanta, Georgia, housed a most remarkable figure.
In early January, The National Park Foundation purchased the house from the estate of his wife Coretta Scott King.
The home will be part of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park, one of Atlanta’s top tourist attractions.
Late last year, The National Park Foundation also purchased King’s birth home, which offers ranger-led tours.
King’s family home will be accessible to the public to “tell a more complete story about the King family’s experiences and contributions to our nation’s history.”
“We are very pleased to have worked with the National Park Foundation to ensure that the family home that my siblings and I grew up in will be open and available to the public,” said youngest daughter Bernice King in a statement.
“My brothers and I are honoured to have fulfilled my mother’s wish to allow future generations to know the story of our dad as a father, a husband, a minister, and a civil rights leader.”
Although it is not known when the new acquisition will open to the public, the park itself was reopened on January 19, thanks to a grant from Delta Air Lines, ahead of the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday, after having been closed due to the partial government shutdown. It remains open through this Sunday, February 3, when Atlanta plays host to the Super Bowl. – Relaxnews
