Under her direction, the public affairs office at the King Historic Site increased the park's public and media presence by more than 1300% and has received multiple awards and commendations for its work. Saudia is most proud of her involvement in the critically acclaimed exhibition "Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America," for which she played a pivotal role in the planning process. The exhibit, described by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as "one of the most extraordinary exhibitions in Atlanta history," made its Southern debut at the park in May 2002; was visited by almost 177,000 people; and was covered by scores of media outlets around the world, including CNN, The Times of London, Asahi Shimbun (of Japan), BBC, USA Today, and others.

Prior to joining the National Park Service, Saudia was program coordinator with the North America Communications Team at The Coca-Cola Company and served as promotions director for KGRM-FM, a 50-000 watt multi-format radio station in Grambling, Louisiana.

Outside of work, Saudia volunteers extensively within the Atlanta community, primarily within interfaith, social justice, education and communications circles. She serves on the Executive Advisory Committee for the CommUnity Insitute and on the Executive Board for Southern Truth and Reconciliation, a new organization aimed at helping communities where lynchings and major acts of racial terror occurred acknowledge the truth of their pasts and presents in order for them to move forward toward a unified future. Saudia is a volunteer tutor with the YMCA Reading Program at John Hope Elementary School and during the 2001-2002 academic year performed the duties of School and Community Affairs advisor as a board member for the Mohammed Schools of Atlanta. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists, serving on the planning committee for the 2003 Regional Conference of the national association.

Saudia is a summa cum laude graduate of Grambling State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication and a Master of Arts degree in Communications with emphasis in Cross-Cultural Relations. She is also a Spring 2002 graduate of the Diversity Leadership Academy of Atlanta. She graduated high school an honor student with college credits in math and sciences from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Grambling State University.

Saudia's favorite quotations are "Good things may come to those who wait, but only the things left behind by those who hustle" and "Remember God in prosperity and He will Remember you in adversity."

Last Updated:
November 10, 2004

Atlanta: The City Too Busy to Hate--Once Wasn't
Saudia Muwwakkil described, Without Sanctuary's journey to the South where visitors were confronted with a history that was in a very direct and concentrated way, theirs. More than 80% of reported lynchings happened in the South; Georgia had the second highest number of recorded lynchings among all states. Initial efforts to bring the exhibit to Atlanta involved a sometimes unlikely grouping of suitors. Among them was the Atlanta History Center located in a wealthy neighborhood and in many ways looking like "old Atlanta." Another, the Auburn Avenue Research Library is a repository of African-American history located in an historic African-American community. Emory University projected the academic perspective with special interest as holder of the "Without Sanctuary" collection at that time.

The exhibit had to overcome the city's reluctance to deal with its history of racial violence. There was a public relations campaign whose slogan was, "Atlanta: The City Too Busy to Hate." A part of the city was running away from its racist past. However, grassroots communities, in acknowledging the inherent pain of that past, encouraged the city to face "Without Sanctuary." The challenge, then, was to reopen the topic of lynching in a way that allowed for healing.

Many Hurdles Overcome Before the Final Success
One prospective venue proposed touring the exhibit around smaller Georgia cities while Atlanta prepared for it. However, others provided compelling reasons to bring the exhibit to Atlanta first. A public controversy ensued, revealing that it would be difficult to find a suitable venue willing to host "Without Sanctuary" in Atlanta without conditions. The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site stepped forward, offering to transform its community meeting room into a gallery designed specifically for the exhibition. The collection owner, James Allen, immediately selected the site because, with no entrance fee, it was highly accessible to the public and provided a natural framework for the subject matter. James would unite the national park with Emory University and independent curator Joseph F. Jordan as partners in the venture. The park staff wrestled some with the exhibit's relevance to the site's mission. However, as Saudia pointed out to conference attendees, visitors to Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site who came of age after the Civil Rights Movement may have had little context for what they were encountering. According to Saudia, the Martin Luther King story told at the site had the unfortunate potential of being viewed in a vacuum. The superintendent made the decision to host the exhibit and about 177,000 visitors attended "Without Sanctuary" during the 9-month installation.

Story Goes National and Touches Individuals
A story about the exhibit aired on CNN several times and local news media helped prepare Atlantans for the exhibit. Emory University provided docent training and a curriculum for grades 8-12; "Reflect and Respond" journals captured over 50 linear feet of public response. The park facilitated dialogues and public programs attended by 800 to 1,000 people. Prince Andrew of England toured the exhibit and was so overcome by it that he couldn't finish the tour. Visitors included children of the lynchings ----both children of victims and of perpetrators.

One man's story was particularly poignant. He came to the exhibit to find a photograph of his father who had been lynched when he was one year old. The exhibit was a liberating experience for him. In that spirit, the overriding goal of the exhibit-rehumanizing the victims- was accomplished. The curator designed the exhibit to tell as much as was available of the individual stories. Each of the victims was someone's son, father, husband or even rarely mother.

To learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site visit the link below. The site includes educational materials for classroom use in addition to lots of information about Dr. King.

http://www.nps.gov/malu/