The doors of the Union Bank Building on Apalachee Parkway are open again to celebrate the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The Meek-Eaton Black Archives Museum is hosting the “Honoring a King Exhibit” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. starting on Tuesday. The event will feature a variety of musical selections, influential films and memorabilia of King’s life.
Union Bank is an extension of Florida A&M’s Black Archives Museum, which is also an historic landmark of Tallahassee.
The building has been leased to FAMU for 100 years as of 1996. It’s the oldest bank in the state of Florida and served as a bank for the emancipated slaves after the Civil War. Artifacts will be placed in glass display cases around the building.
Featuring family portraits of Dr. King’s family, printed speeches and candid photos will be available for all to see.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s., life will be displayed by different pictures from his childhood and adult life with index cards describing each individual picture.” said William Guzman, assistant professor of African-American studies and history at FAMU.
The films that will be shown for Monday’s event include Amazing Grace: The life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., The Speeches and Marches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and The Long Walk Home: The Montgomery Bus Boycott.
“The films may be outdated, but they are still the best representation of Dr. Kings life,” said Guzman.
People attending the event will have the great pleasure to have their own tour-guide. Doris J. Smith is one of the guides who will be escorting attendees around the exhibit and giving a more in-depth explanation of its contents.
“The Honoring a King Exhibit” will be a place for people to come and take a moment and glance at the history of an influential leader. The exhibit can be understood by all regardless of age.
The exhibit will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. as of Jan. 17 – Feb. 29 to celebrate Black History Month. For special groups and class showings, dates have been set from Jan. 17 – 31.