Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026

Hear from Mary Ilonah, Museum Operations Manager of the Herndon Home, a National Historic Landmark built by Atlanta’s first Black millionaire, Alonzo Herndon. Learn Herndon’s story, involvement with Civil Rights leaders like Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, and the King family, and the impact he and his son, Norris, had on Atlanta’s Civil Rights scene.

From 12-1pm, show off your knowledge of Atlanta’s Civil Rights history! Everyone can compete to win fun prizes.

Learn from Atlanta native Tonya Austin as she recounts the story of her grandfather, Marion Boykin Armstrong Sr., a Pullman Porter of the Southern Railway System for over thirty years.

Jai Ferrell is an award-winning global executive with expertise in leadership, marketing & brand strategy, customer experience, operations, personnel management, and revenue generating programming.

Ms. Ferrell is the Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta (GSGATL) serving over 35,000 members throughout 35 counties in Georgia with a $25MM annual revenue portfolio.  GSGATL is the fifth largest council in size of the 111 councils throughout the nation.   Most notably, she is the first person of color to lead the organization in its 100+ year history.

Prior to joining GSGATL, she was the Chief Commercial Revenue Officer for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) managing the commercial portfolio that exceeded $1.5 billion in gross revenue each year under her leadership. She was the first person to ever hold this role at the busiest airport in the world.

William “Bam” Sparks is a visionary brand architect and cultural technologist whose work lives at the intersection of Black innovation, immersive storytelling, and community connectivity. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Sparks brings a rare blend of technical expertise and cultural intuition—shaped by his studies in Chemical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and his time at Albany State University, a proud HBCU legacy.

Sparks co-founded the Trap Music Museum, an iconic cultural landmark that redefined how hip-hop is archived, celebrated, and monetized through immersive tech. Under his strategic leadership, the museum draws more than 25,000 monthly visitors and has become a global blueprint for culturally driven innovation.

T. Dallas Smith is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at T. Dallas Smith & Company.
He leads the firm’s branding and strategy efforts, which includes creating & overseeing all new business verticals within TDS&Co that align with the company’s core business.

T. Dallas Smith & Company has led projects across the country with metrics exceeding more than eight million square feet of tenant and buyer representation in office and industrial space, and more than five thousand acres of land acquisitions. Since its inception, the team has grown exponentially, and with their combined experiences have successfully led transactions totaling over $16 billion in aggregate value. Dallas is an innovator and thought leader in the commercial real estate community and is intentional about cultivating and developing diverse talent to help shape the commercial real estate industry.

Sonia Murray is a veteran music and entertainment journalist with more than 25 years of experience—the majority of it spent covering the growth and influence of hip hop and R&B in the South and beyond.

She is often sought by filmmakers and TV, radio and podcast producers because of her original storytelling, reporting skills, and keen understanding of market dynamics. Her expertise includes celebrity interviews, lifestyle trends, cultural analysis, and the ability to deliver content to key audiences. She has been privileged to write, report, assign, edit and photograph stories from various genres of music to television, film and book reviews, the business of entertainment, sports and news.

Lisa Rayam is an Emmy Award winning journalist with strong ties to the Atlanta community. She is currently the Host and Senior Producer of “Morning Edition” on Atlanta’s WABE 90.1 FM-an NPR member station. Lisa is also the Host and Producer of The Political Breakfast Podcast with national strategists Tharon Johnson and Brian Robinson. In addition, Lisa often provides election reports and commentary for CNN and MSNBC.

You may recall Lisa from her 21 years at Fox 5, where she was a reporter and anchor of the noon and 6 p.m. newscasts. During her tenure there, she developed a reputation as a tenacious, well-connected reporter and a trusted anchor. Lisa is well known for her wealth of experience, extensive contacts and credibility that comes from covering some of the biggest news stories in the state of Georgia.

Use our Gatheround Exhibit to experience a curated series of artifacts highlighting the foundations of Dr. King’s dream in Atlanta and the realities of social change over the span of over 150 years!

Share your own thoughts on the history of civil rights in Atlanta and how Atlanta influences you through our community recordings!

Explore exhibits, activities, and more around our campus through this interactive scavenger hunt. Follow clues that highlight Atlanta’s role in shaping Dr. King’s dream and modern creative influence. When you finish, earn prizes that celebrate Atlanta pride, creativity, and community connection!

Leave your wish for Atlanta’s future on our Wish Wall, created as part of the Wish Wall initiative for America’s 250th anniversary by Made by Us.

Snap your own photos at our activated photo booth!

For a limited time, purchase merch co-created by Atlanta History Center and Atlanta Influences Everything to celebrate the AHC Centennial!

Come explore how the Pullman Porters influenced Dr. King’s journey into one of the most well-known boycotts of the Civil Rights Movement.

Take part in the activism of King Day by designing and creating your very own button to take home!

Discover the difference a dollar makes by exploring the influence of the Herndon family, Atlanta’s first Black millionaires, who helped to fund the Civil Rights Movement.

Dr. King was influenced and supported by many people throughout his life. Stop by to learn about how some of these people fit together to help build the Civil Rights Movement.