Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historical Park, in Atlanta, Georgia, includes the birthplace, church, and burial place of the noted civil rights leader. King was born in Atlanta in 1929 and buried there in 1968 after he was shot and killed by an assassin. King, known for his eloquent speaking ability, was the main leader of the civil rights movement in the United States in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize for leading nonviolent civil rights demonstrations.
The park includes more than 20 buildings in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood. Two blocks from King’s childhood home at 501 Auburn Avenue is Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King’s grandfather and father were pastor. King served as co-pastor there with his father from 1960 until his death. Near the church lie the graves of King and his wife, Coretta Scott King.
The park was established in 1980 as a national historic site. In the 2010’s, Congressman John Lewis introduced legislation to upgrade the national historic site to improve the preservation and presentation of its landmarks. In late 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill, which upgraded the site to become the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historical Park. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law in 2018.
