King Remembrance Day

Wreath on exterior of historic Ebenzer Baptist Church

Linda Byers,NPS

News Release Date: April 3, 2017

Contact: Judy Forte, [phone] ext. 5028

Atlanta’s Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site will host the annual “King Remembrance Day” observance, honoring the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on the 49th anniversary of his death. A special wreath-laying ceremony featuring remarks by King Center CEO, Dr. Bernice A. King, will take place April 4, 2017 at 2:30 pm at historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Heritage Sanctuary.

Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee and was brought home for the April 9th funeral services — held at historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and Morehouse College —and burial. To reflect upon that solemn occasion in history, the National Park Service, along with members of Ebenezer Baptist Church will place a replica of the 1968 wreath on the historic location of Ebenezer Baptist Church, as it appeared on April 9, 1968.

The National Park Service will offer silent open house tours of Dr. King’s Birth Home on April 4, 2017 and April 7-9, 2017, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. To tour the home, visitors must meet at the front steps of the Birth Home where a ranger will begin the tour.

“We encourage visitors to walk through the Birth Home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and explore the community and family life that guided and nurtured this future Civil Rights leader,” stated Judy Forte, superintendent, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site.

The fifteen-minute film, “The Last Days of King” will play in the park’s Visitor Center from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm between April 4th and 9th. In the film, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, members of the King family and close associates share personal accounts related to Dr. King’s tragic death.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site is located at 450 Auburn Avenue. All events and tours are free of charge and open to the public.