Footprints of Civil Rights History

Who can walk in the footsteps of civil rights heroes? Now anyone can at the new International Civil Rights Walk of Fame in Atlanta.

The footprints of some of the world's most renowned freedom fighters were embedded in cement at a memorial located at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site on Auburn Avenue.

More than 300 people attended the Sept. 14 unveiling ceremony, where business, civic and political leaders hailed the walk of fame as a boon for local tourism and a historical and cultural showpiece. Organizers hope the walk of fame will inspire visitors who stand on the footprints to carry on the work of the honorees.

While a high school band played the civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome," the footprints of freedom fighters, etched in black granite blocks, were unveiled from under a long black drape.

The first phase of the walk honors 17 civil rights leaders who dedicated their lives fighting for equality and justice. Some of the initial inductees included Medgar Evers, Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young, former National Council of Negro Women president Dorothy I. Height, and presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter.

The walk of fame was organized by Xernona Clayton, a longtime civil rights activist and executive producer/founder of the Trumpet Awards, which annually recognize outstanding African American achievement. Clayton, who lives in Atlanta, began collecting the shoes last spring.

There was one obvious set of footprints missing, however: that of Martin Luther King Jr., whose family denied Clayton's request for a pair of his shoes.

Nevertheless, those who marched with King remembered the man and his work for equality.

"It's a very spiritual moment. I'm honored and humbled," said Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, whose footprints are preserved on the walk of fame.

Nicole Covert, President Johnson's granddaughter, said she was proud of her grandfather's civil rights legacy. "I hope we can carry on in those same footsteps."

The shoes, from Parks's cream-colored slip-ons to the black lace-ups worn by Medgar Evers when he traveled throughout Mississippi to register Black voters, were on display in glass cases.

"I wanted a tribute that people could touch and feel a connection with the people who sacrificed to make life better for us all," Clayton said;

Eventually, all of the shoes will be returned to the families, and a panel will be selected to determine future inductees. The site can accommodate more than 600 footprints.

- Connie Green Freightman

Copyright Crisis Publishing Company, Incorporated Nov/Dec 2004
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