Plaque Text for Georgia Landmark #44-3:
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was sentenced here, at the site of the former DeKalb Building, on October 25, 1960, to four months of hard labor for protesting segregation with the Atlanta Student Movement at a Rich’s Department Store dining room. His arrest violated parole conditions set by Judge J. Oscar Mitchell, who had convicted King of driving without a Georgia license, even though he carried a valid Alabama license. Mitchell’s harsh sentencing of King’s parole violation energized Civil Rights activists and amplified demands to end racist laws and policies. King’s mistreatment focused national attention on the Civil Rights Movement when John and Robert Kennedy intervened to free King from prison. As a result, many Black voters switched parties to help elect John F. Kennedy president, setting the stage for major Civil Rights legislation.
More about The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Decatur:
That pretty well sums it up!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Become a member of the Georgia Historical Society!
- Become a member of the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
SW corner of E Trinity Pl and N McDonough St
Decatur, GA 30030
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Whenever the mood strikes you!