Reflecting MLK

"Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’" - Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK Memorial at Sunrise

I would be remiss if I let the excitement of my early morning, comically freezing, adventures to capture last night's lunar eclipse overshadow the fact that today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  

One of the reasons I love taking street photography is that I'm able visit places in the world that are hallowed ground, whether I know it or not.  Sometimes I don't realize the story behind an abandoned building or historical marker until I get home and research it so I can include it as a caption on my website; now if my history teachers would have taught this way, I know I would have been a better student!

Lorraine Hotel

A few years ago, the Navy ordered me to Millington TN for business, so I crawled around Memphis with my camera and stumbled upon the National Civil Rights Museum.  This complex of museums and historic buildings includes the former Lorraine Motel, the site of Martin Luther King Jr's assassination on April 4th, 1968.  Unfortunately I got there after the Museum was closed (it's on my bucket list), but it was still light enough to capture the sights. 

I share these images with you as my way of reflecting on an galvanizing figure whose question about "what are you doing for others?" propelled me to serve my country, 'leave it better than I found it' while mentoring and hopefully inspiring others.  

Motel images are frozen in time

Want to see more Memphis Street Photography from that trip:  Memphis Streets Gallery (this link takes you to Laura Hatcher Photography website)


Want to read a interesting article on:  The Lorraine Motel and Martin Luther King  (this link takes you to the New Yorker website).

Laura Hatcher is a retired Naval Officer, Mother, Harley Rider and Published Professional Photographer located in Northern Virginia.

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