Today we checked out of the wonderful Hilton Hotel in Jackson and hit the road for Minnesota, but first we made a stop in Memphis to visit the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel.
The famous motel in Memphis where Dr. King was assassinated. The balcony near the right of the photo is where he was standing.
The Lorraine Motel is where Dr. King was assassinated. The exterior of the motel was preserved and the two rooms where Dr. King and his friends stayed were also kept intact. The rest of the motel is a large museum.
This museum was distinct from the previous museums we visited because it also had an entire building and exhibit showcasing where the assassin, James Earl Ray, shot Dr. King. This museum is highly controversial for that reason and for the reason that it disrupted a residential community.
This is the scene looking across the street at the Lorraine Motel, where James Earl Ray stood when he assassinated Dr. King.
The museum not only covered the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, but also had exhibits dedicated to the women’s liberation, anti-war, and gay rights movement. It was also highly interactive and there were more people than any other museum we had been to.
Hey look! Another 1950s Montgomery bus! Unfortunately, this one didn’t go anywhere either, but it was still fun to go inside.
At the gift shop, Joe Morse just happened to pick up a book about the freedom summer of 1964 and flip through it. He ended up finding a picture of himself and other volunteers. The book was recently published and Joe had no idea that he had been in this book.
Joe Morse just happened to pick this book up at the gift store. He flipped through it and stumbled upon a picture of himself when he worked in Mississippi. Joe is on the left of the picture.
After the museum, we were back on the road to Minnesota.
Civil Rights Road 