ATLANTA,GA -- Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site will
commemorate the annual observance of King Remembrance Week which honors the life and
legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. April 4-9, 2014 with a special
Wreath-Laying Ceremony April 4, 2014 to commence the Park's week long series of
public activities. The Wreath-Laying Ceremony will take place at Historic
Ebenezer Baptist Church, Heritage Sanctuary in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday April
4, 2014 at 5:30 pm. This year marks the 46th anniversary of the death of
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine
Motel in Memphis, Tennessee and was brought home to be buried in the Sweet
Auburn community. On April 9, 1968, his funeral took place at Historic Ebenezer
Baptist Church and Morehouse College.
To reflect upon that solemn occasion in history, the National Park Service along with
The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Ebenezer Baptist Church,
and Southern Christian Leadership Conference will place a replica of the 1968 wreath on the
historic location of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Heritage Sanctuary as it appeared on
April 9, 1968. There will be a brief program with special featured remarks from
representatives from King Center, Southern Christian Leadership Conference and
Ebenezer Baptist Church along with other dignitaries and National Park Service
officials before laying the wreath upon the church's façade. In addition, a
continuous Silent open house Birth Home Tour will take place on Wednesday,
April 9, 2014 at 10:30am and end at 4:30pm. Tours are free. To tour the home,
visitors must meet at the front steps of the Birth Home where a ranger will
begin the tour. "Park visitors will be in a special place at the right moment to commemorate
the death of Dr. King, "stated Judy Forte, Park Superintendent.
All events are free of charge and open to the public. For more information on upcoming
events at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, visit www.nps.gov/malu or call
(404) 331-5190.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
