Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and the Rosa Parks Library and Museum

This afternoon was filled with two wonderful highlights. First, I visited the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. Dr. King served this church from 1954-1960. The meeting in which the decision was made to launch the Montgomery Bus Boycott was held in the church's basement on December 2, 1955. Dr. King was later elected President of the Montgomery Improvement Association, and he directed activites for the boycott from his office located in the basement of this church. Still an active church, the first worship service was held in its basement in 1885 and four years later, on Thanksgiving Day in 1889, the first worship service was held in the upstairs sanctuary. Wanda, our tour guide, was so generous with her time and explained the history of the church including a beautiful mural in the basement, the office where Dr. King wrote his sermons, and the sanctuary. Her personal touch made this stop a highlight of my trip. My second stop was at the Rosa Parks Library and Museum. This museum sponsored by Troy University is located on the site of the arrest, and it celebrates the legacy of Mrs. Parks who is considered the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement. The museum opened on December 1, 2000, the 45th anniversary of Park's arrest. This interactive museum explains how Mrs. Park's decision to challenge the bus segregation laws in Montgomery began the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which eventually led to bus desegregation and the realization that non-violent civil disobedience could be a successful tool for social change. I admire Mrs. Park's quiet courage and grace in the face of such hatred. She is a true hero! It was such a wonderful afternoon to stand in the footsteps of two civil rights heroes.