{"id":9058,"date":"2018-04-06T18:22:10","date_gmt":"2018-04-06T22:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.atl.com\/?p=9058"},"modified":"2018-06-22T09:37:00","modified_gmt":"2018-06-22T13:37:00","slug":"atl-honors-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-on-50th-anniversary-of-assassination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.atl.com\/atl\/atl-honors-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-on-50th-anniversary-of-assassination\/","title":{"rendered":"ATL honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on 50th anniversary of assassination"},"content":{"rendered":"
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M.D. Roberts Middle School Fine Arts Magnet students perform during ATL’s celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 5.<\/p><\/div>\n

By Anika Robertson
\nSenior Editor\/Assistant Public Relations Manager<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n

The world\u2019s busiest and most efficient airport honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during a stirring tribute featuring poignant remarks and moving performances for the American icon.<\/p>\n

Senior Deputy General Manager Michael Smith beamed with pride as he stood before dozens of attendees\u00a0celebrating the life and legacy\u00a0of one of the world’s greatest civil rights leaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo much of who we are and what we do at Hartsfield-Jackson resonate with Dr. King\u2019s dream,\u201d Smith said April 5 in the Domestic Terminal atrium. \u201cThe Airport\u2019s culture is one of efficiency and excellence, and that\u2019s how Dr. King operated. The civil rights movement was never easy, but it\u00a0had such great purpose. And despite racial divisions that still exist today, our nation\u2019s progress over the past 50 years is without question.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event took place in conjunction with The King Center\u2019s MLK50 Forward, an initiative commemorating the 50th<\/sup> anniversary of the iconic leader\u2019s assassination.<\/p>\n

Several large placards of Dr. King filled the Domestic Terminal atrium as the audience was moved by the words of Dr. King\u2019s last speech, \u201cMountaintop,\u201d recited by orator Stephon Ferguson.<\/p>\n

Performances by M.D. Roberts Middle School Fine Arts Magnet students and members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. from Morehouse College, King\u2019s alma mater, honored King\u2019s words and tireless actions.<\/p>\n

Smith recounted his experience 50 years ago as he witnessed the procession of Dr. King\u2019s funeral on what is now Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember standing out in front of my church with my family taking pictures \u2026 and singing along with the crowd as they went by,\u201d he said, showing Dr. King\u2019s original funeral program.<\/p>\n

Alongside several volunteer chaplains of various faiths, Airport Chaplain Adrien Neely called for unity and \u201cdiversity without divisiveness\u201d on behalf of ATL\u2019s Interfaith Chapel.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Dr. King so clearly stated, \u2018Only light can drive out darkness and only love can drive out hate.\u2019”<\/p>\n

Although Dr. King left us much too early, the burden is on us to create a better world for our children and generations to come, Neely said.<\/p>\n

Year-round, Hartsfield-Jackson hosts an art exhibit celebrating Dr. King. Titled \u201cLegacy of a Dream,\u201d\u00a0the\u00a0display on\u00a0Concourse E is divided into five categories: early life, family life, message, untimely death and honors achieved, and his legacy.<\/p>\n

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