By Elliot Scher

We began our first full day of the summer journey in Atlanta by exploring the anti-Semitism that engulfed the city and the world. It is the story of good-hearted Northern-born Jewish Leo Frank, who came down to Atlanta to run a pencil factory. The disaster began in 1913 upon the murder of Mary Phagan, by process of strangulation. Georgia’s Attorney General had suffered many losses and was looking to redeem his reputation. A group of suspects were collected but the prime suspect was Jim Conley, who was a custodian at the pencil factory. However, he implicated Leo Frank by claiming that he was a forced accomplice to the “evil” Jew. His story was believed and an extremely biased trial against Leo Frank began. Leo Frank was found guilty and originally sentenced to death but then Governor Slaton, whose term was ending, came to Frank’s rescue. Governor Slaton alleviated the judicial punishment to just life in prison. However, his life in prison proved to be short. Frank’s throat was slit at the first prison and he was rescued by a fellow prisoner who happened to be a doctor. Leo Frank was moved to a prison hospital. It was there that members of the newly resurrected KKK walked in to the prison and took Leo Frank. They took him to a farm and asked him if he had a final request. He asked that they send his wedding ring to his wife who had gone back to New York. They nonchalantly accepted, lynched him, and then cut down his body and beat his corpse. The case of Leo Frank revealed to Southern Jews their place in society. To me, the acts performed towards Frank present the irony of the prejudices of that era. How is it that the KKK could so easily offer a final request towards Frank, fulfill it, but then slaughter him so brutally? The offering of a final request lends a humane aspect towards the KKK’s behavior. It does not seem possible to treat a human with such gracefulness and then kill him with absolutely no justification. Leo Frank’s death proved to the world that as long as prejudice towards any ethnicity, creed, or nationality exists, the world will inevitably turn away from reason and find shelter in chaos.

Hearing the story of Leo Frank where he was lynched

Next we visited Auburn Avenue and the Martin Luther King Jr Center for Non Violent Change. In the museum we saw art, lessons and videos depicting the process and importance of King’s accomplishments as well as influences. The entire setting felt like a time machine to the headquarters of the Civil Rights movement. Across the street is Ebenezer Church where Dr. King preached and down the street is his birth house. Auburn Avenue represented a refuge for the richest and poorest Blacks in Atlanta coexisting peacefully. The center taught me that the Civil Rights Movement was not only for the Black population; it was an outcry of protest representing any being who has been oppressed and made inferior by another. King’s words presented the universal idea of peace, a world graced by equality in lieu of inferiority. These words still apply today and are very much needed. Dr. King may be dead but his ideas are still very much alive. It seems a man with a gun can kill a man but cant kill ones ideas. The King Center proved to be a memorial to King’s life but also a celebration and reminder of the lifestyle his ideals were based on.

Discussing the influence of Gandhi in front of his statue at the King Center	Etgar 36 2009 in front of Dr. King's birth home	Paying respect at the tomb of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The next part of the day took place at the Names Project where the AIDS Quilt is stored. We first met a man named Alan. Upon entering the room I believed he would fill us in on the details of the project, but I was startled when he announced he was a homosexual living with HIV. It was an eye opening experience to be staring the disease in the face, and I finally realized what the disease looked like. AIDS does not look like homosexuals, nor does it look like Africans or the vulnerable or the weak. It looks like strength. Personally, this kind hearted, religious, optimistic man in front of me symbolized the disease and the strength which accompanies it. He spoke with such nonchalance about anything from announcing his sexuality to his parents, to not being able to walk, to digesting $2,000 worth of drugs weekly. Alan has learned to become comfortably dependent on others, and this does not show weakness, it shows amazing fortitude. This made me realize that the quilt was not to simply pressure the government into helping these inflicted individuals but also to celebrate what the deceased beings have accomplished.

Hearing about the history of the AIDS Quilt at the Names Project

Our final meeting of the day was with Reverend Williams in a small coffee shop. His old style preacher tone was startling at first. At the age of 92, his mind and tongue have stayed strong. He spoke with such conviction and passion about the Civil Rights movement, his role in it, and its effect on him and us. If Dr. King’s principals and oratory prowess had been recycled and embodied in a sole individual, I found that individual in a space above a coffee shop. He was able to manually connect all of us to his own experiences and the extreme conditions of the time. Rev. Williams presented the quintessence of not only black pride, but universal tolerance. For instance, despite the relentless troubles he suffered from the government due to racial differences, he originally preferred Hillary Clinton for President over Barack Obama. He showed me that although mankind has the ability for unimaginable cruelty, we also possess a great potential for kindness and forgiveness. It is characters like him that brought on the comfortable societal standards we all enjoy today.

Listening to real life history with Rev. Williams

Our day ended with the opportunity to run around and play on a local high school football field and just relax.