Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site & Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site - Tuskegee, AL

On Day 2 of our move back to California we spent the morning in Atlanta, GA and then headed into Alabama. As we drove toward Montgomery we decided to take a side trip to Tuskegee, AL. We wanted to go check out the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site and the Tuskegee University.

The Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site is located at Moton Field Municipal Airport which was the only primary flight facility for African-American pilots during World War II. A scenic overlook that sits above the airport displays signs telling a brief history of the Tuskegee Airmen. It was really neat looking down upon the old airport hangar and watching the active airport. From this scenic overlook you can either walk or drive down to the Hangar #1 Museum to learn about the Tuskegee Airmen.

Here are the displays located at the scenic overlook.

The Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site uses the coolest space for Hangar #1 Museum. It is incredible! We were blown away by the size of the hangar and the two full-size planes sitting inside. We had a blast checking out all the exhibits. There also is a fun Junior Ranger program here. 

Cadets came from all over the United States to participate in flight training that the United States Air Corps offered to African American men for the first time in 1941. Prior to 1941 African Americans were barred from ever flying in the U.S. military. The War Department refused to integrate the U. S. Air Corps, but they did train the cadets at a segregated army airfield.

The Tuskegee Airmen were trained to fly single-engine planes. It was cool walking into the hangar and seeing two single-engine planes parked there.

We learned about the wings of airplanes, motors and propellers. 

More than 1,000 African American pilots were trained in Tuskegee between the years of 1941-1946. We enjoyed learning about their pilot training. 

Here's the second single-engine plane inside the Hangar #1 Museum.

These kids crack me up! Alyssa is a dork when it comes to taking photos!

Braxton really enjoyed listening to the air traffic control tower.

There also were some awesome personal narratives for the kids to listen to. The kids really enjoyed getting to hear from the actual pilots.

The little ones really enjoyed the exhibit where they could check out the Tuskegee Airmen uniforms and try them on.

We highly recommend a visit to the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site. It is incredibly educational, interactive and the location is really cool.

No idea what this is, but of course Brax has to try to open it. 
The kid can't resist a door when he sees one.

Love this jet! Braxton and Delaney really wanted to climb inside it.

Our next stop was the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site which is the only national park located on a fully functioning college campus. It is located on the beautiful Tuskegee University grounds. Tuskegee University was founded in a one room shanty on July 4, 1881 by Booker T. Washington. He was a true educator and has intrigued me for years. When I was around 16 years old I read his autobiography, Up From Slavery. It made such an impact on me and my feelings about the injustice of slavery. Back in April my sweet Alyssa also read it. She was so excited to see the Tuskegee University he founded and ran for 34 impressive years.

On a side note: Alyssa, in Hotch's absence, is my navigator when we are on the road. She is also my second hand gal for tons of things like getting her siblings snacks or opening things for them to taking photos of signs as we drive by. After three attempts at trying to photograph the Tuskegee University sign here is her best effort.

There are two main attractions to see while checking out the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site: The Oaks and The George Washington Carver Museum. Booker T. Washington's personal residence on the Tuskegee University campus is called The Oaks. It was built in 1900 and he lived here with his third wife Margaret until his death in 1915. There are free home tours offered only on Saturday and Sundays (10am, 11am, 1pm & 3pm).  We were bummed that we missed the tour by only 30 minutes. 

Booker Taliaferro Washington is shown seated in the middle of this picture with his third wife Margaret James Murray, his sons Ernest Davidson Washington and Booker T Washington Jr and his daughter Portia Washington. His first two wives, Fanny Norton Smith (mother of Portia) and Olivia America Davidson (mother of Ernest & Booker T Jr) both died tragically as young mothers. Almost all of them are buried on campus in the Tuskegee University Historic Cemetery.

The George Washington Carver Museum was closed for renovations when we were there. It should have opened again this summer. This museum contains George Washington Carver's artwork and science experiments. He never married, but spent 47 years teaching science, researching crop rotation and inventing uses for various crops such as peanuts.  George Washington Carver is also buried in the Tuskegee University Historic Cemetery.

We had a great time in Tuskegee, AL and totally recommend making a stop here if you are on your way through Alabama. It is well worth the time!

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site & Georgia State Capitol Building - Atlanta, GA

As we passed through Atlanta, Georgia we made a special point to visit the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Preservation District. We have taught our children about Martin Luther King Jr for years. It has been really wonderful watching them gain sincere admiration for this good man. We were so excited to see where he was born and grew up, where he was ordained a minister and preached the word of God, where he is memorialized and his final resting place next to his sweet wife.

Martin Luther King Jr was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and his philosophy of nonviolent resistance. In April 1959, eleven years after Gandhi was assassinated, Martin Luther King Jr was able to travel to India with his wife and a close friend. He stated that "since being in India, I am more convinced than ever before that the method of nonviolent resistance is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for justice and human dignity." You can read about his experiences in "My Trip to the Land of Gandhi", an account he wrote for Ebony, which was published in July 1959. We loved this statue and tribute to Gandhi!

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change Inc. or better known as "The King Center" is located across the street from the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. It was lovingly established in 1968 by Martin's wife, Coretta Scott King. On the day we visited, which would have been her 86th birthday, they actually named a rose after her. It is a beautiful coral colored grandiflora rose named the Coretta Scott King. Check out the photo below. Isn't it lovely! Due to time constraints we had to leave before the dedication. We did see the King family pull up in limos and gather for the occasion. Out of respect I didn't take any photos of them. 

(Photo above of the Coretta Scott King Rose from www.weeksroses.com)

We were privileged to pay our respects to such a noble man and his beloved wife. Located between the King Center and Ebenezer Baptist Church are the gravesites of Martin Luther King Jr and his wife Coretta Scott King. He was originally buried in the South-View Cemetery until 1977 when he was reinterred in this memorial tomb. It is a very beautiful, solemn place. 

The Eternal Flame is right across from their tomb. It symbolizes Martin Luther King Jr's commitment to eternal hope and truth. I appreciated the words on the plaque. "The Eternal Flame symbolizes the continuing effort to realize Dr. King's ideals for the "Beloved Community" which requires lasting personal commitment that cannot weaken when faced with obstacles."

We were surprised to look up and see the buildings of downtown Atlanta. We didn't realize how close it actually was.

It seemed fitting to have dogwood trees planted next to the Eternal Flame. After living in North Carolina, I love the blossoms on dogwood trees! 
Enjoy the Legend of the Dogwood below.

Since we were on a very tight schedule we were unable to visit the King Center. (I thought it would be rude to check out the exhibits while the rose dedication was going on.) Instead we opted to tour the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

This beautiful church holds quite a lot of significance for the King family. Martin Luther King Jr's maternal grandfather was Reverend Adam Daniel Williams. He served as pastor of the Ebenezer Church from March 1894 until March 1931. He also was the pastor while the current Ebenezer Baptist Church was built back in 1922. His only child was Martin Luther King Jr's mother, Alberta Christine Williams. "Mama King" was baptized as a child and later married Martin Luther King Sr on Thanksgiving Day 1926 in this church. She served for 40 years playing the organ (1932 -1972). In June 1974 she was tragically shot while playing the organ for the Ebenezer Baptist Church congregation and she died later that day.

Martin Luther King Jr's father, Reverend Martin Luther King Sr, served as senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church for an astounding 44 years (1931-1975). Martin Luther King Jr was baptized as a child in this church and attended services here each week while in his youth. At the age of 19 he gave a trial sermon and was subsequently ordained a minister here too. He was co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church from 1960 until his was assassinated in 1968. Poignantly his funeral was held in this beloved church.

As you quietly reflect upon the significance of this church in the lives of the King Family you can hear the words of Martin Luther King Jr speaking of faith, hope, endurance, etc. It was a powerful experience seeing the pulpit where he once preached peace and nonviolent resistance. The Ebenezer Baptist Church also has the most beautiful stained glass windows. In the stained glass below there are depictions of Reverend Adam Daniel Williams (first window) and Reverend Martin Luther King Sr (second window).

We really enjoyed our visit to the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Here is a short history of the church produced by the National Park Service.

Our next stop was the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site's Visitor Center. Honestly, it was quite a let down. We were hoping to see a state of the art facility with modern, interactive exhibits. Instead it was a very crowded almost outdated visitor center. It doesn't seem fitting due to the magnitude of Dr. King's influence in this world. Hopefully they will revamp it at some point making it more interactive and educational. 

The kids enjoyed the D.R.E.A.M. Gallery Exhibit called "MINE EYES HAVE SEEN". This exhibit contained a replica of the Lincoln Memorial and reflection pool at the time Martin Luther King Jr gave his renowned I Have A Dream speech. Fun to take photos next to a life size Martin Luther King Jr at the podium. There also were pictures of key figures and events during the Civil Rights Movement.

Inside the Visitor Center is the main exhibit called "Courage to Lead". It contains lovely photos of the King Family and of major events in Martin Luther King Jr's life. We wish it had been much more extensive and interactive. It is geared more for adults and teens. Make sure to ask for Junior Ranger booklets if you bring kids. They help make visiting the Visitor Center and National Historic Site more interactive for children.

My children were touched by the part of the exhibit that contains a mock jail cell. It saddened them to learn about the 11 days he spent in jail for his nonviolent civil rights campaigning in Birmingham, Alabama. He wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail while being unjustly incarcerated.

Sadly at the age of 39, Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated on April 4, 1968. One of the most touching things was seeing the wagon that was used to carry his casket in front of over 200,000 mourners from the Ebenezer Baptist Church to the Morehouse College. This wagon and the two mules used to pull it were symbols of his efforts to help the poor. 

Our nation was blessed to have been influenced by such a noble man. His service and sacrifices helped to ensure equality for all citizens in this good nation. His example of nonviolent resistance is still applicable today.

There is an incredible mural on the wall facing the Visitor Center entrance. My artist children were in awe of it. 

The girls were really excited to find Rosa Parks footprints etched into the granite walkway along the Promenade leading back to the parking lot. 

We were bummed that we ran out of time and could not visit Martin Luther King Jr's Birth Home. Next time we will make a point to get there even earlier in the day so we can go on a tour right away. Tickets to tour Dr. King's Birth Home are free, but they are given out on a first come, first served basis. Enjoy this virtual tour of his Birth Home!

Before we left Atlanta we headed over to the Georgia State Capitol Building. It is only a short 6 minutes drive from the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site and Preservation District.

Look at that dome! It is incredibly beautiful!

There is no where to park around the Georgia State Capitol Building so we just kept driving around it. Since it was closed we just took photos as I drove. We had a few homeless men look at us funny as we circled it for the fifth and sixth time. Not the most inviting building, but it is supposed to have a superb Georgia State Capitol Museum on the fourth floor. Next time we'll visit during the week when it's open so we can go inside.

We had a lovely morning in Atlanta, GA! Hoping to come back again so we can see a few more sights and spend more time at these two great places.