Life has a way of surprising us by bringing opportunities and experiences into our lives that will forever expand our knowledge and inspire us to learn more. Just over a year ago, I had the opportunity to visit a city that I never expected to visit as it wasn’t on my radar until my middle son accepted a four-month internship at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
In early October 2023, my husband (a true lover of music) and I traveled to Memphis to visit our son and to take advantage of this unexpected opportunity to experience and explore the city that is known as the “Home of the Blues & Birthplace of Rock’ n Roll.” A city where the music continues to be shaped by a mix of multicultural influences including country, gospel, jazz, rap and soul music.” We saw Graceland, Sun Studio and took a walk down Beale Street, with Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis” playing in our heads
Although Memphis is known for its music, the most impactful experience for me during this trip was a visit to the National Civil Rights Museum in downtown Memphis. With the historic Lorraine Motel Façade intact, visitors enter into the museum where interactive exhibits, historic collections, dynamic speakers and special events provide visitors a chance to walk through history and learn more about a tumultuous and inspiring period of change.1 The museum features permanent exhibits including “A Culture of Resistance – Slavery in America 1619–1861”, “Standing up By Sitting Down—Student Sit-Ins 1960”, “The Year They Walked—Montgomery Bus Boycott 1955–1956”, “We Are Prepared to Die—Freedom Rides 1961” and “What Do We Want”—Black Power.” In addition, the Museum also features the bus in which Rosa Parks took a stand by staying seated, and the freedom riders’ Greyhound coach that was brought to a fiery stop by Klansman.
As I stood outside the museum full of emotion, I looked up at the balcony in front of room 306 on which Reverend. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was standing when he was assassinated. I then read the sign in front of the exhibit which noted that the bullet came from a window in the boarding house behind me. As I turned around and saw the actual building window where (allegedly) James Earl Ray committed one of the worst crimes of the civil rights movement, I was struck by the reality of that moment. The emotions I felt were strong and sobering and will forever inspire me.
Each year, the Bar hosts the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Luncheon on the Friday before the federal holiday. This year we will gather at noon on January 17th, to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King and learn how we can continue our work toward a more just and equitable world. This year we will hear a message on how we might embrace Dr. Kings words from Keynote Speaker Dr. Marsha Currin McGriff, an esteemed scholar and practitioner with over two decades of experience in advancing global competence and cultural intelligence within higher education.
I want to send a special thank you to the many firms who have thus far committed to sponsoring this year’s luncheon; we couldn’t put on such a great event without their support. For the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Luncheon Committee, thank you for so tirelessly working to deliver an event where we can all become inspired to strengthen our work in achieving excellence, equity, and accessibility in the administration of justice. I look forward to seeing you there!
Our trip came to an end, and we returned to Seattle with a true interest in a city we never expected to visit. When my son’s internship ended, he accepted a certified child life specialist position at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and now we will look forward to many more trips and continuing our exploration of Memphis, Tennessee.
Kathleen Jensen is KCBA’s Executive Director. She can be reached by email at (kathleenj@kcba.org) or phone (206.267.7053).
1 https://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/about
