For Martin Luther King, Jr.

Welcome Joshua Durst, Atlanta, Georgia. 
He writes:
"In July, I moved from Knoxville, Tennessee to Atlanta, Georgia. One of the places that I have visited many times since I moved to Atlanta is The King Center and surrounding national park property. Visiting Dr. King's birth home, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the grave of Dr. and Mrs. King are all very moving experiences.

 

In anticipation of this year's Dr. King holiday, my partner, Chris, and I decided to spend our day at the King Center and in the surrounding "Sweet Auburn" neighborhood. In preparation for the day, I decided to create a prayer flag to hang near Dr. and Mrs. King's grave.

 

My prayer flag was created out of my own hand dyed muslin (marigold dye) for the front and a commercial printed batik for the backing. Meaningful words for the day were stamped on the front. The word "dream" was also appliqued on the front and buttons and other embellishments were added. Seed stitching was added to the flag for the quilting.

 

 The day was filled with speeches, the fellowship of all who were gathered, good food, an inspiring parade, and much more. Many people watched as I tied the prayer flag to the fence across from the gravesite including a security guard who questioned my motive. After some confusion on his part, he quickly realized the intent of the prayer flag and its message and gave his assent.

 

I left with a feeling of hope and peace that day. I can only wish that my prayer flag was important to others gathered to remember the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."