Fall 2016
Honors Study Away: A Civil Rights
Pilgrimage
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
Honors Study Away/Recruitment Trip to Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana:
Remembering the Civil Rights Movement
November 9-13, 2016
Contact Persons:
Dr. Elizabeth Brown-Guillory (713-291-2161)
Mr. Shandon P. Neal (281-642-4080)
Ms. Renuka Nair (281-686-6787)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site
Page 3
The International Civil Rights Walk of Fame
Page 3
Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church
Page 4
Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have A Dream"
World Peace Rose Garden
Page 5
The King Center
Page 5
The Center for Civil and Human Rights
Page 6
True Colors Theatre Company
Proof by David Auburn
Page 7
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI)
Page 8
Kelly Ingram Park
Page 9
Edmund Pettus Bridge
Page 10
Ancient Africa, Enslavement, & Civil War Museum
Page 10
Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church
Page 11
Dexter Parsonage Museum
Page 12
Rosa Parks Museum
Page 13
1
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
Civil Rights Memorial and Civil Rights Memorial Center
Page 14
Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival
Page 14
French Quarter
Page 15
Café du Monde
Page 15
Whitney Plantation
Page 16
Why We Can’t Wait
Page 17
Off the Beaten Path Tour
Page 18
2
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
Atlanta
Atlanta, the capital of Georgia, played an important part in both the Civil War and the 1960s
Civil Rights Movement. Atlanta History Center chronicles the city's past, and the Martin Luther
King Jr. National Historic Site is dedicated to the African-American leader’s life and times.
A Brief History
Present day Atlanta was originally known as Marthasville. The population was approximately
500 and most of the inhabitants were employed by the Western and Atlantic Railroad. In 1848,
the town was renamed Atlanta.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site
A young boy grows up in a time of segregation…A dreamer is moved by destiny into leadership
of the modern civil rights movement…This was Martin Luther King, Jr. Come hear his story,
visit the home of his birth, and where he played as a child. Walk in his footsteps, and hear his
voice in the church where he moved hearts and minds. Marvel at how he was an instrument for
social change.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site attracts large numbers of national and
international visitors. You will find the places where Dr. King was born, lived, worked,
worshipped, and is buried.
The International Civil Rights Walk of Fame
Created in 2004, the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame gives recognition to those
courageous soldiers of justice who sacrificed and struggled to make quality a reality for all. This
extraordinary display has enhanced the historic value of the geographic area, enriched the
cultural heritage, and augmented tourist attractions in the city of Atlanta.
3
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church
Throughout its long history, Ebenezer Baptist Church, located in Atlanta, Georgia, has been a
spiritual home to many citizens of the "Sweet Auburn" community. Its most famous member,
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was baptized as a child in the church. After giving a trial sermon to
the congregation at Ebenezer at the age of 19 Martin was ordained as a minister. In 1960 Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. became a co-pastor of Ebenezer with his father, Rev. Martin Luther
King, Sr., known as "Daddy" King. He remained in that position until his death in 1968. As a
final farewell to his spiritual home Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral was held in the church.
In 2001, thanks to a Save America's Treasures Grant and the contributions of many individuals
and corporations, the National Park Service began the restoration of historic Ebenezer Baptist
Church. The restoration was completed in two phases.
Phase I included design and installation of major systems including, electrical, heating, and air
conditioning, and fire suppression. Structural repairs were made to the roof system and the
historic exterior. The Ebenezer sign hanging over the entrance was repaired and lit for the first
time since 1990. A chair lift was installed to provide accessibility to the sanctuary. The funding
for Phase I involved a private and public partnership and cost $1,885,000.
Phase II of the project restored the appearance of the sanctuary and fellowship hall to the 196068 period when Dr. King served as co-pastor with his father. Special work items included
preservation of stain glass windows; restoration/replication of furnishings; repair of balcony
structural system; rehabilitation of restrooms; abatement of asbestos-containing flooring;
treatment of termite infestation/damage; installation of a lightning protection system;
improvement of site drainage; and restoration of a sidewalk, baptistery, and pipe organ and its
antiphonal.
4
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have A Dream" World Peace Rose Garden
The International World Peace Rose Gardens program is a worldwide effort to help youth
recognize the importance and value of peace. In March 1992, the Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have
a Dream" World Peace Rose Garden was planted at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic
Site. The garden is an artistic interpretation of Dr. King’s life and ideals of peace through
nonviolence. The garden’s starburst design brings attention to the brilliance of Dr. King’s ideals
using the Official Flower of the United States, the rose.
The Garden borders the Peace Plaza, in front of the Visitor Center. It has 185 roses in a variety
of colors and fragrances. The graves of Dr. and Mrs. King can be seen directly across the street if
you stand at the Peace Plaza, facing the rose garden. Each year an annual contest is held and
students from local, national, and global schools submit poems of peace. Winning poems are
selected and installed in the rose garden for the period of a year. There were a total of 27
"Inspirational Messages of Peace" for 2016.
The Atlanta garden is one of five major World Peace Rose Gardens established around the world
by International World Peace Rose Gardens. The other gardens are located at other cultural,
historical and sacred centers of the world and focus on different aspects of peace.
The King Center
5
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
Established in 1968 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for
Nonviolent Social Change (“The King Center”) has been a global destination, resource center
and community institution for over a quarter century. Nearly a million people each year make
pilgrimage to the National Historic Site to learn, be inspired and pay their respects to Dr. King’s
legacy.
Both a traditional memorial and programmatic nonprofit, the King Center was envisioned by its
founder to be “no dead monument, but a living memorial filled with all the vitality that was his, a
center of human endeavor, committed to the causes for which he lived and died.” That vision
was carried out through educational and community programs until Mrs. King’s retirement in the
mid-1990s, and today it’s being revitalized.
As we move into the second decade of the 21st century, the King Center is embarking on a major
transformation into a more energetically-engaged educational and social change institution.
Supported by our Board of Directors and an infusion of new thinking, the King Center is
dedicated to ensuring that the King legacy not only remains relevant and viable, but is effectively
leveraged for positive social impact.
In short, the King Center is repositioning to meet the challenges and opportunities of today.
Squarely-focused on serving as both a local and global resource, the King Center is dedicated to
educating the world on the life, legacy and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., inspiring
new generations to carry forward his unfinished work, strengthen causes and empower changemakers who are continuing his efforts today.
Plans include a state-of-the-art renovation to the King Center’s Atlanta campus, the preservation
and digitization of our one-of-a-kind archives, the launch of an innovative digital strategy and
conference series to bring the King legacy to a modern audience and the development of new
programs and partnerships that further Dr. King’s work in sustainable, measurable ways
worldwide. Through such efforts, the King Center can rise to its true potential as a beacon of
hope and progress, to a world that still desperately needs Dr. King’s voice and message.
USE OF DOCUMENTS Turn right as you exit the church and continue east and take the steps
on your right up to the reflecting pool. Pause to reflect at Dr. and Mrs. King's Tomb and view the
Eternal Flame. Enter Freedom Hall at the east end of the reflecting pool and view belongings of
Dr. and Mrs. King.
6
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
The Center for Civil and Human Rights
Located in downtown Atlanta, the Center for Civil and Human Rights is an engaging cultural
attraction that connects the American Civil Rights Struggle to today’s Global Human Rights
Movements. The purpose is to create a safe space for visitors to explore the fundamental rights
of all human beings so that they leave inspired and empowered to join the ongoing dialogue
about human rights in their communities.
The Center for Civil and Human Rights pays homage to the Civil Rights Movement. Visitors are
taken on a journey of interactive displays that bring to life segregation, the plight of the freedom
riders, the lunch counter protests, and the march on Washington, through the assassination of
Martin Luther King, Jr. From there, guests are elevated to learn about how the Civil Rights
struggles laid a foundation for the fight for Human Rights. Exhibits walk people through the
aggressors and peacemakers in history and how each and every person can work to ensure that
Human Rights are granted throughout the world. The Center for Civil and Human Rights is a
unique and unparalleled experience that should be experienced by every visitor and resident of
Atlanta.
True Colors Theatre Company
The name True Colors Theatre Company reflects a promise to search for truth and clarity. True
Colors Theatre Company's mission is creating a moveable feast of theatre grounded in the rich
canon of African-American classics and branching out to include bold interpretations of world
drama and a strong commitment to diverse new voices, helping to develop those early-career
writers who are creating tomorrow's classics today.
True Colors Theatre Company intends to be an important voice in the American discussion of
diversity, supporting and propelling individuals and institutions in their quest for understanding.
Operationally, the company will strive to remain fiscally sound and small enough that every
individual who works there can be heard, be accountable, get better at what they do, and live out
True Colors' core values.
Proof by David Auburn
7
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
Proof is the 2001 Pulitzer Prize & Tony award winning drama by David Auburn, directed by
Tess Malis Kincaid. Proof, is a passionate story about the bond between fathers and daughters,
the power of love, and the nature of genius. Catherine, a troubled young woman, has sacrificed
years of her life as the sole caretaker for her mentally unstable, but renowned mathematician
father. On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday following her father’s death, the arrival of her
estranged sister, and the romantic attentions of her father’s former student, she is forced to
confront her own volatile emotions. A burgeoning romance and mysterious discovery make
Catherine question: How much of her father’s mental illness and genius will she inherit?
According to the New York Times it is “an assured play that is as accessible and compelling as a
detective story.”
Birmingham, Alabama
Nestled at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains at the cross-section of two major railroads,
the City of Birmingham, Alabama, is the largest city in the state with a population currently
estimated at 212,237. At the height of the nation’s manufacturing age, the city grew so fast in
population, it was called the “Magic City.” Birmingham boasts 99 historic neighborhoods and is
often referred to as the cradle of the American Civil Rights Movement.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) is a cultural and educational research center that
promotes a comprehensive understanding and appreciation for the significance of civil rights
developments in Birmingham. The institute signifies that Birmingham does not hide from its
past. It acknowledges that where once the city housed two people, Black and White, unknown to
one another except through the painful thread of segregation, Birmingham now embraces its
past, neither forgetting nor dwelling on it, but using it to foster understanding.
BCRI recognizes the redemptive importance of memory. It is both a time capsule, and a modern
day think-tank focused on seeking equitable solutions to common problems. In some ways it
functions as a town square where the community gathers to discuss common concerns.
BCRI is a “living institution” that views the lessons of the past as crucial to understanding our
heritage and defining our future. Since opening its doors in 1992, BCRI has been visited by
8
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
more than 2 million people from all 50 states and around the world. Visitors include adults,
school children and students, families, researchers, and scholars. BCRI encourages visitors to
examine basic issues of morality, law, justice and responsible citizenship. It also teaches that
silence and indifference to the suffering of others can only perpetuate social problems and
divisions.
Kelly Ingram Park
Kelly Ingram Park (historically known as West Park), was an assembly point for participants in
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Project "C," (for Confrontation)--sit-ins,
boycotts, marches, and jailings designed to end segregation in Birmingham.
During the first week of May 1963, Birmingham police and firemen attacked civil rights
demonstrators, many of whom were children, in the streets bordering this park. The violence
raised a nationwide public outcry, hastening integration in America's most segregated city.
Birmingham, site of the first mass beatings of freedom riders, was selected by the SCLC for a
massive protest campaign. Under the onsite direction of SCLC President Martin Luther King,
Jr., and local SCLC affiliate Fred Shuttlesworth, department stores were targeted for boycotts
and protest marches organized. Dr. King was arrested and held in solitary confinement for three
days, during which he wrote, smuggled out of jail, and had printed his "Letter from Birmingham
Jail," a profoundly moving justification for the moral necessity of non-violent resistance to
unjust laws.
Selma, Alabama
Located on the banks of the Alabama River, Selma is a city in the Black Belt region of south
central Alabama and extending to the west. The city is best known for the 1960s Selma Voting
9
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
Rights Movement and the Selma to Montgomery marches, beginning with "Bloody Sunday" in
March 1965 and ending with 25,000 people entering Montgomery at the end of the last march to
press for voting rights. This activism generated national attention to social justice and that
summer, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed by Congress to authorize federal oversight
and enforcement of constitutional rights of all citizens.
Edmund Pettus Bridge
The Edmund Pettus bridge became a symbol of the momentous changes taking place in
Alabama, America, and the world. It was here that voting rights marchers were violently
confronted by law enforcement personnel on March 7, 1965. The day became known as Bloody
Sunday.
The march resumed on Sunday March 21, with court protection through Federal District Court
Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr., who weighed the right of mobility against the right to march and
ruled in favor of the demonstrators. "The law is clear that the right to petition one's government
for the redress of grievances may be exercised in large groups...," said Judge Johnson, "and these
rights may be exercised by marching, even along public highways."
This time, 3,200, versus the initial 600, marches headed east out of Selma, across the Edmund
Pettus Bridge and on to Montgomery. Marches walked 12 miles a day and slept in fields. By the
time they reached the capitol on Thursday, March 25, they were 25,000-strong. Less than five
months later, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 -- the best
possible redress of grievances.
Ancient Africa, Enslavement, & Civil War Museum
This sister museum to the National Voting Rights Museum (NVRM) houses exhibits that depict
historical, topical, and provocative impacts and occurrences during slavery in America.
10
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
Established in June 2002, near the site of the “Bloody Sunday” March, the Ancient Africa,
Enslavement, & Civil War Museum (AAECWM) serves as a bridge from the past to the future
and participates in the commemoration of Selma’s voting struggle. Formerly known as Slavery
and Civil War Museum, the AAECWM presents a historical perspective of the Civil War and
slavery in side-by-side, temporary and permanent exhibits, and virtual interactive visual
exchanges. Tackling one of the most controversial eras in history, the AAECWM focuses on the
history of Ancient Africa, enslavement, the Civil War, as well as experiences of those who were
actually auctioned off and tortured back in the days.
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama and is located on the Alabama River, in
the Gulf Coastal Plain. With a population of 201,332 (2013 Census), it is the second-largest city
in Alabama, after Birmingham. It became the state capital in 1846, representing the shift of
power to the south-central area with the growth of cotton as a commodity crop of the Black Belt.
In February 1861, Montgomery was selected as the first capital of the Confederate States of
America, until the seat of government moved to Richmond, Virginia, in May of that year.
Made famous as the major center of events and protests during the Civil Rights Movement,
including the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Selma to Montgomery marches, it is interesting
to note that Montgomery was recently voted the 'happiest city in Alabama' by ziprecruiter.com
in 2014. It has also won several national awards: Best Historic City by USA Today, All-America
City in 2014 by the National Civic League, and "Top City For Job Growth" in 2014 by
ziprecruiter.com.
Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church
11
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
The Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, was founded in 1877 in a slave trader’s pen,
located on Dexter Avenue (formerly Market Street) in Montgomery, Alabama.
Formed by a breakaway segment of the congregation from the “Brick--a-­Day” First Baptist
Church in 1879, the Church’s trustees purchased a 50′ by 110′ lot for $270.00 on the corner of
Dexter Avenue and Decatur Street near the Capitol building, as the permanent location of their
church. Originally named the Second Colored Baptist Church, the church was a small woodframe structure located on the lot was used for worship service and educational purposes; the
current red -brick building was constructed between 1883 and 1889.
Much of Montgomery’s early civil rights activity – most famously the 1956 Bus Boycott – was
directed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., its twentieth pastor, from his office in the lower unit of
the church. Dr. King led the congregation from 1954 to 1960. In 1980, twenty years after Dr.
King left the church and twelve years after his assassination, artist and Dexter deacon John W.
Feagin painted a 10′ by 47′ mural at the church depicting scenes of Dr. King’s journey from
Montgomery to Memphis during the Civil Rights Movement: the segregated facilities of the Jim
Crow era, along with struggles, sorrows, prejudices, and personalities of the Civil Rights
Movement that followed. Beginning with the bus boycott, it traces the long and tedious
American journey for equality that was kick started in Montgomery under Dr. King’s leadership.
In 1974, the church building was designated a national historic landmark, and today, thousands
of national and international tourists annually visit to be inspired by and educated on the history
of the Church and Dr. King’s role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Dexter Parsonage Museum
The Dexter Parsonage Museum, historically the home to twelve pastors of the Dexter Avenue
King Memorial Baptist Church from 1920 to 1992, was placed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1982.
12
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
It was restored in 2003 by the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Foundation, Inc., under the
direction of church members acting as an Authentication Committee. Visitors to the Dexter
Parsonage Museum will experience the actual residence where Dr. King and his young family
lived between 1954 and 1960; an Interpretive Center, and the King-Johns Garden for Reflection.
Parking is available for cars and tour buses. The permanent exhibit in the Interpretive Center
includes a timeline of photographs of the 12 Dexter pastors who lived in the Parsonage, a wall of
Pastoral Wisdom (inspiring quotes from several pastors), unpublished photographs of Dr. King,
Dexter members, civic/business leaders, and Montgomery ministers active in the bus boycott;
and historical accounts on the bombing of the Parsonage and other significant events.
The nine-room clapboard Parsonage, built in 1912, has been restored to its appearance when Dr.
King and his family lived there. Much of the furniture presently in the living room, dining room,
bedroom and study was actually used by Dr. King.
Rosa Parks Museum
The purpose of the Rosa Parks Museum is to uphold and interpret for the public benefit,
education and enjoyment, materials related to the events and accomplishments of individuals
associated with Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Museum includes a permanent exhibit, a time
machine, temporary exhibit space, archives, classrooms, an auditorium and conference room.
13
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
The Museum is a major landmark in the revitalization of downtown Montgomery constructed on
the site of the old Empire Theatre where Mrs. Parks made her courageous and historic stand in
1955. The interpretive museum occupies the first floor and 7,000 square feet of a three-story,
55,000 square foot building that also contains the TROY-Montgomery Campus Library. In a
non-violent and non-threatening manner, six distinct and unique areas inside the museum tell the
story of bravery and courage of early civil rights soldiers. Artifacts include a restored 1955
station wagon, a replica of the public bus on which Mrs. Parks was sitting that day, and original
historical documents of that era loaned by the City of Montgomery.
Civil Rights Memorial and Civil Rights Memorial Center
Created by Vietnam Veterans Memorial designer Maya Lin, the Memorial is located across the
street from the Southern Poverty Law Center's office building in Montgomery, Alabama. A
circular black granite table records the names of the martyrs and chronicles the history of the
movement in lines that radiate like the hands of a clock. Water emerges from the table's center
and flows evenly across the top. On a curved black granite wall behind the table is engraved Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s well-known paraphrase of Amos 5:24 – “We will not be satisfied until
justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
The Civil Rights Memorial invites visitors to touch the engraved names. As designer Lin
envisioned, the Memorial plaza is "a contemplative area — a place to remember the Civil Rights
Movement, to honor those killed during the struggle, to appreciate how far the country has come
in its quest for equality, and to consider how far it has to go."
The Civil Rights Memorial Center is adjacent to the Memorial. In addition to exhibits about Civil
Rights Movement martyrs, the Memorial Center houses a 56-seat theater, a classroom for
educational activities, and the Wall of Tolerance. The center invites visitors to learn about
sacrifices and achievements of the Civil Rights movement, confront facts of contemporary
injustices, hear stories of hate crime victims, and examine our own biases.
14
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
New Orleans, Louisiana
Located in southeastern Louisiana, New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city
and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The city, named after the Duke of Orleans, a
Regent for Louis XV from 1715 to 1723, was established by French colonists and strongly
influenced by their European culture. It is well known for its distinct French and Spanish Creole
architecture, as well as its cross-cultural and multilingual heritage. New Orleans, or NOLA, or
the Big Easy, is also famous for its food, music (particularly as the birthplace of jazz), and its
annual celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras. New Orleans' Tremé neighborhood
is not only America's oldest black neighborhood, but was also the site of significant economic,
cultural, political, social, and legal events that have shaped the course of events in Black
America for the past two centuries.
The ninth annual Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival is New Orleans' premier brass band showcase,
and the best place on earth to sample a dozen different styles of gumbo.
The highlight of the festival, staged in Louis Armstrong Park, and directly opposite the French
Quarter is the great traditional New Orleans jazz performed by renowned artists, many of whom
grew up in the historic Tremé neighborhood. There is also some of the best gumbo cooking to be
found anywhere in the southern Louisiana region.
French Quarter (Vieux Carré)
The French Quarter, also known as the Vieux Carré or the “Quarter” to locals, sits on a crescent
in the Mississippi River on some of the highest ground in New Orleans. Not only is it the city’s
cultural hub, but it is also a community where residents take time to welcome visitors in the
streets.
15
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
French Quarter architecture blends Spanish, French, Creole and American styles together in an
idyllic, enchanting setting. Walled courtyards, perfect for French Quarter parties, are a gift of the
Spanish influence. Cast iron balconies were added to many masonry buildings after 1850, when
Baroness Pontalba included them on her fashionable row houses near Jackson Square. These lacy
galleries, along with plentiful stoops and porches on younger buildings, make the Quarter a great
place for people watching.
From antiques and books to clothing and accessories, the French Quarter is full of boutique
shopping. From fine dining to casual local eats, the French Quarter is the best place to sample
Creole and Cajun cuisine and truly has something for every taste. Open 24 hours a day, the
iconic Café du Monde, is the home of the famous beignet, or French doughnut.
The Acadians (Cajuns) from Nova Scotia brought many French customs, such as the beignet, to
Louisiana in the 18th century. Unlike most doughnuts, beignets are squared pieces of dough with
no hole in the middle. At Café du Monde, the beignets are served traditionally, with a thick
covering of powdered sugar, in orders of three.
Whitney Plantation
In 2014, the Whitney Plantation opened its doors to the public for the first time in its 262 year
history as the only plantation museum in Louisiana with a focus on slavery. Through museum
exhibits, memorial artwork and restored buildings and hundreds of first-person slave narratives,
visitors to Whitney will gain a unique perspective on the lives of Louisiana's enslaved people.
The Whitney Plantation, originally known as Habitation Haydel, is located less than an hour
from New Orleans, on the historic River Road in Wallace, Louisiana. Ambroise Heidel (1702ca.1770), the founder of this plantation, emigrated from Germany to Louisiana with his mother
and siblings in 1721. He became a modest farmer on the east bank with, at one time, a single pig
for livestock. In 1752 Ambroise bought the original land tract of this plantation and became a
wealthy owner engaged in the business of indigo. Jean Jacques Haydel Sr. (Heidel’s younger
child) transitioned the plantation from Indigo to sugar in the early 1800's before passing it to
future generations. After the Civil War (1867) the plantation was sold to Bradish Johnson of
New York, who named the property after his grandson Harry Whitney.
16
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
The “big house” on Whitney Plantation is one of the very few Historic American houses known
to have received decorative wall paintings on both its exterior and its interior. Whitney
Plantation is also significant because of the number of its historic outbuildings which were added
to the site over the years, thus providing a unique perspective on the evolution of the Louisiana
working plantation.
It is a genuine landmark built by African slaves and their descendants. As a site of memory and
consciousness, the Whitney Plantation Museum is meant to pay homage to all slaves on the
plantation itself and to all of those who lived elsewhere in the US South.
Why We Can’t Wait
17
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College
Why We Can't Wait is a book by Martin Luther King, Jr. about the
nonviolent movement against racial segregation in the United States, and
specifically the 1963 Birmingham campaign. The book describes 1963 as
a landmark year in the Civil Rights Movement, and as the beginning of
America's "Negro Revolution". The seed of the book, King's "Letter from
Birmingham Jail," became nationally known and received interest from
the New York publishing world.
The book largely reproduces the text of "Letter from Birmingham Jail",
with some editorial changes. King writes in a footnote: "Although the
text remains in substance unaltered, I have indulged in the author's
prerogative in polishing it for publication. "Why We Can't Wait” was
published by Harper & Row in July 1964. At the time, the paperback
edition cost 60¢. The book seeks to describe the historical events that led
up to the Negro Revolution, to explain why this revolution was non-violent, and describe why
nonviolent resistance was so powerful. One of its major strengths involved changing the function
of jails in society. Previously, jail was used as an element of intimidation: authorities used the
threat of pain and isolation in jail to control many separate individuals. Large groups of
demonstrators, however, had the power to fill up jails—and to politicize the act of being jailed,
thereby making jail less of a punishment. Dr. King condemned tokenism as an act of deception
that offers false pride without real power and distinguished between tokenism and a "modest
start" to equality, writing that tokenism serves to stifle dissent and protest, not to start a process.
Dr. King also criticized other approaches to social change for Blacks, including the quietism of
Booker T. Washington, the elitism of W. E. B. Du Bois's appeal to The Talented Tenth, the PanAfricanism of Marcus Garvey, and the litigation of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He argued that none of these leaders and
philosophies held the promise of real mass change for all African Americans.
The conclusion provides an explanation of "why we can't wait": that Blacks must no longer
move towards freedom, but assert their freedom. Dr. King’s message ends by saying that if the
civil rights revolution succeeds it may spread nonviolence worldwide, ending the nuclear arms
race and bringing world peace.
Why We Can't Wait was an important part of the effort to make the civil rights struggle known
to national and international audiences. Describing Birmingham as "the most segregated city in
America" transformed it into a symbol for segregation and inequality at large. The book has
received much contemporary critical acclaim, and was ranked #78 on Modern Library's list of
the 100 best non-fiction books written in English.
Off the Beaten Path Tour
Off the Beaten Path is a social justice community excursion which takes place in four of New
Orleans’ historic communities focusing on the socio-economic, political and cultural significance
of each, past and present, before and after Hurrican Katrina; as well as discussions on the historic
failures of the levee system in 1927, 1965 and 2005.
18
Texas Southern University
Thomas F. Freeman Honors College




The Historic Central City Community
The Historic Mid City Community
The Historic Treme Community (Oldest Black Community in the U.S.)
The Historic Lower 9th Ward
19