Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site Remembrance Week 2014

April 3,2014

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site Remembrance Week 2014 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 p.m. 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 facade. In addition, a continuous Silent open house Birth Home Tour will take place on Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 10:30 a.m.  and end at 4:30 p.m. 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.