Downtown Decatur in DeKalb County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Decatur

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 6, 2022

1. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Decatur Marker

Inscription. 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.

Erected 2021 by Georgia Historical Society; Students of Decatur High School; the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights; and the City of Decatur. (Marker Number 44-3.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights. In addition, it is included in the Martin Luther King, Jr. series list. A significant historical date for this entry is October 25, 1960.

Location. 33° 46.401′

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N, 84° 17.8′ W. Marker is in Decatur, Georgia, in DeKalb County. It is in Downtown Decatur. It is at the intersection of McDonough Street and Trinity Place, on the right when traveling south on McDonough Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 112 W Trinity Pl, Decatur GA 30030, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Piedmont

and in Metro Atlanta.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Decatur (here, next to this marker); Lynching in America / Lynching in DeKalb County (within shouting distance of this marker); Marion Footman Wilson (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); DeKalb County Confederate Monument Contextualization (about 600 feet away); Indian Trails of Dekalb County (about 600 feet away); Garrard’s Cavalry Raid (about 600 feet away); Old Dekalb County Courthouse (about 600 feet away); The Stoneman Raid (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Decatur.

Georgia Historical Society, 2021

2. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Decatur Marker

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 6, 2022

3. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Decatur Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 14, 2021, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 528 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 11, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on May 14, 2021, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 3. submitted on May 11, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.