The Journey Begins

// March 20th, 2009 // Travel Blog

“If you find yourself on ‘Martin Luther King Boulevard’, run!” – Chris Rock

“Oh, God! We’re at the corner of Cesar Chavez Way and Martin Luther King Boulevard!” - Principal Skinner, The Simpsons.

In his 1996 comedy special Bring the Pain, Chris Rock famously mocked streets named after the Martin Luther King Jr. At the time, I remember laughing at his routine. My hometown of Bowie, Maryland has its own rundown Martin Luther King Blvd. However, Rock’s statement has stayed with me over the years. Do MLK streets, avenues and boulevards really represent the worse in communities?

Last month, I applied for a school travel grant to work on a multimedia project exploring different Martin Luther King streets across the country and how the they speak to the state of race in our country. The project will incorporate photos, audio, slideshows and videos. There are over 650 streets named after MLK in this country but I plan to visit on 12 over the course of the week.

I will be documenting my journey along the way on this blog. Come back for daily updates about my trip or suggest new MLK streets I should visit.


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4 Responses to “The Journey Begins”

  1. Abs says:
    March 20, 2009 at 10:11 am

    When will you be in the ATL? Do you need a place to stay? OMG I would do anything to see you! 404-345-4184

  2. Mom says:
    March 20, 2009 at 5:39 pm

    Hi Honey, we have prayed for a safe, peaceful, and productive trip for you. We love you and are so proud of your commitment to focusing on issues which should concern us as Americans. Peace & Love, Dad and Mom

  3. Henry Eaton says:
    March 23, 2009 at 5:51 pm

    I am sharing your exploits with my associates and they are really excited. We are traveling wiwth you vicariously. Keep up the good work. Dad

  4. Brenda Tucker says:
    March 26, 2009 at 10:20 am

    This is soooo fun. I can take a trip without leaving home.

    I think Idi Amin is responsible for the Indians being in MS. That’s another subject for another time.

    You’re so brave to do this. I applaud you.

    Brenda (family friend)

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