On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Captain C
After the aquarium, we took a 5 minute walk across Centennial Square to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, which is a museum dedicated to the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. and the broader human rights movements around the world. It’s very moving, and works as designed to give a good idea of what the people in the middle of these movements were experiencing.
Heading over to the center, with my Tante and Mom.
Some of the main segregationists from the Civil Rights Movement period. The kind of people the current Supreme Court majority would presumably like to see back in power. We can’t let that happen.
Ruby Bridges. She’s as old now as my Oma* was when I was 9 years old (older than she, Ruby, was in this picture). The past is not even really the past, yet.
*The mother of the two women in the first picture in this set.
Guidelines for nonviolent protesters. The people who were in charge were extremely thoughtful, organized, and diligent; making sure to keep their eyes and actions focused on the main goal, and well aware of the power of image.
I don’t have a photo, but in this room, there was a display on the lunch counter sit-ins, at which you sat at a counter and put on surround-sound headphones, and then got to listen to about 90 seconds worth of awful racist taunts and threats; the surround sound made it sound very realistic (some voices were closer than others, including some that sounded right behind you) and gave me a good appreciation for the self-control that the sit-ins had to muster and maintain to deal with the threatening push-back from segregationists.
The human rights portion of the museum was also moving. Here we see some major human rights violators, and their current status (as of November 2019).
A display on the role of wider society in human rights violations.
Some notable fighters for human rights, including Mandela, Havel, King, and Yelena Bonner (Andrei Sakharov’s wife).
wetzel
I was thinking if you all are still in Atlanta, outside of the beaten path brochure attractions, some of the things you might check out in terms of this or that to do might include these things to see a few different sides of Atlanta. Atlanta is a big town. I don’t know all the Vinings, Marietta, Johns Creek stuff. It gives me a headache driving on that part of town. Here are some things mostly Dekalb and in-town oriented. I’m in Oak Grove for those that know the Emory area. This is just off the top of my head.
1) Eat on Buford Highway a few times where there’s Mexican, Vietnamese and everything else
2) Walk up Stone Mountain
3) Go picnic at one of the Chattahoochee River parks north of the city
4) Go see a concert at Chastain Park
5) Go to the symphony
6) Eat at Krog Street and bike or walk the Beltline
7) Hang out with the Atlanta intelligentsia in Euclid Avenue Yacht Club at Little Five Points
8) Eat one time at Bachanalia
9) Shop at Auburn Ave Curb Market and go check out Grady
10) Day trip to Callaway, Buford, Athens, Helen, Blueridge etc.
Atlanta is a lower key vibe in a lot of ways, where what’s going on isn’t spectacular like San Francisco or Cleveland. It’s a city in a Piedmont forest, and right now is the best time of year. Atlanta is as pretty as Honolulu for about three weeks.
Always be aware of your surroundings in Atlanta!! Anywhere in Atlanta can be dangerous because, well, it’s America, but keep your wits about you in LIttle Five Points, Buford Hwy and Auburn Ave. Park in the open and stay with the people and you are a local. All three places figure in the crime reporting. I spent my twenties in those neighborhoods around LIttle Five Points. It was wonderful back then. It’s still pretty cool, but more expensive to live there, that area, Agnes Scott to Inman Park in Dekalb, I think, are some very nice neighborhoods if you like driving around and looking at pretty little well-tended houses with lots of dogwoods and azaleas. Lullwater off Ponce de Leon toward Emory is where Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy lived. There are some beautiful homes on that road.
Scamp Dog
Since you call them Oma and Tante, I’m guessing they’re German immigrants, no?
Steeplejack
@wetzel:
I found one of my cats as a tiny stray kitten on Lullwater Road back in the day. Simba, a beautiful black cat—had her for 19 years.
I used to live in Atlanta until 2005. Went back to visit friends in 2012, want to go again soon.
Captain C
@Scamp Dog: Dutch, actually, but good guess.
Dan B
I heard Otval Faubus speak at our modest city in northeast Arkansas. He warned the audience (after dark, all white) that “If my opponent is elected the dole will be cut off!” My father quit his job and got us out of there a few months later. It was shortly after a group of young black activists tried to integrate the wonderful public swimming pool. The locals in the pool said “Yes, it would come off and stuck to you.” My father didn’t want my brother and I growing up in such a racist environment.
WaterGirl
Captain C, I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to look at your post this morning. I wanted to say thanks for this series.