MCJ Editorial
Atlanta keeps Dr. King’s papers where they belong!
Kudos to the City of Atlanta and its Mayor Shirley Franklin, who, on the advice of former Ambassador Andrew Young, worked feverishly to save the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. papers that were scheduled to be auctioned by Sotheby’s Auction House.
The major collection of speeches, drafts, sermons and the famous "Letter from the Birmingham Jail," all written in the heat of the civil rights movement, were thought to be worth $15 to $30 million. Personal collectors, multiple universities and museums were expected to be prospective bidders for the one of a kind collection.
The local paper wrote this: "This week, Franklin was busy securing donation and loan guarantees from more than a dozen individuals and companies. The donors and guarantors included Coca Cola, Home Depot, Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc., entertainer Tyler Perry, former Gov. Roy Barnes, retired Georgia Pacific Chief Executive, Pete Correll, developer John Williams and philanthropists Tom Cousins and Tom Glenn."
We are elated that these cherished papers will remain in Atlanta, the birthplace and the incubation site for many of the civil rights marches, visions, planning and fundraising campaigns. Additionally, its housing at the historically prominent Morehouse College, the alma mater of Dr. King, is equally significant. Too often, others are the fiscal recipients of the community’s sacrifices, tears and tenacity so necessary for African American leaders to emerge.
What was perhaps the most significant outcome of the Atlanta community-wide effort, however, is the projection of residents, Black and White, whose clear vision dictate the tenor and philosophy of the city. Often described as the "City too Busy to Hate," Atlantans, under Black leadership, understand that the city has to focus on all of the community’s constituents, businesses, banking, governmental, community thought leadership and philanthropists, to continue to grow the city.
The issues are neither Black nor White. They are consistently what is best to continue to grow the city, the region and business community so that jobs are available. Clearly, the problems that plague urban areas are evidenced in Atlanta. Homelessness continues to blight parks and distant tourist areas. But the new Georgia Aquarium has brought people from around the world into an area deemed incorrigible just five years ago.
Crime increased all over the United States, but the city’s new police chief revealed statistics that showed Atlanta to be one of only a few cities that witnessed radical reductions in the same period.
Water, sewers and the infrastructure, which played havoc with, water purity, and broken sewer lines, that arbitrarily became fluid gushers all over the city boundaries, have been practically eliminated. Today, Atlanta provides water for the whole region, including Florida, through the Chattahocchi River.
Teamwork continues to be the ace in the consistent Atlanta "Top Ten Cities" phenomenon!
Mayor Franklin has been championed as an innovative leader. Her successes continue to be spotlighted in national magazines and elected office circles. Can Milwaukee, the secret on the Great Lakes have similar potential? We really believe it is here. If only we could harness it!
