Stockbridge celebrates native son King Sr. as nation mourns his son

As the nation mourns civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on the 50th anniversary of his slaying, Stockbridge officials have installed a small memorial to his father.

Photos and replicas of glasses and writings of Stockbridge native Martin Luther King Sr. have been put on display at the Henry County town’s City Hall.

Daddy King was the person who influenced King Jr. to become a civil rights activist and to become a minister," said, Kira Harris-Braggs, Stockbridge Main Street director. "We take pride in not only the Daddy King heritage here but also the heritage as it connects to King Jr. as well."

The elder King, whose birth name was Michael King, lived in Stockbridge until 1918, when he left to follow his dream of a career in the ministry. In 2016, Stockbridge named a bridge on a portion of Ga. Highway 42 in King Sr.’s honor.

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