Politics
Politics

Stockbridge celebrates Martin Luther King Sr. as world mourns his son

Stockbridge display at City Hall celebrates life of native son, Martin Luther King Sr., father of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.

Credit: City of Stockbridge

Credit: City of Stockbridge

Stockbridge display at City Hall celebrates life of native son, Martin Luther King Sr., father of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.
By Leon Stafford
April 4, 2018

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.

About the Author

Leon Stafford covers south metro government

More Stories

Keep Reading

Angela Denise Davis, right, creative director for Zami Nobla, introduces The SHE (Sister Harriet Ensemble) during a concert at the Neighborhood Church in Atlanta on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.  (Ben Gray for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal

LISTEN

‘It’s UATL’ podcast: Protecting queer elders and beyond

Hosts Nedra Rhone and DeAsia Paige talk to Angela Denise Davis the creative director of ZAMI NOBLA.

24m ago

Greene ‘not inspired’ by GOP candidates for Georgia governor, Senate

The Rome Republican says she fears conservative voters have ‘checked out’ now that Donald Trump is back in power.

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s voters are sticking with her through her political evolution

Congresswoman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s supporters are sticking with her even as she splits from Republican Party leadership

The Latest

Angela Denise Davis, right, creative director for Zami Nobla, introduces The SHE (Sister Harriet Ensemble) during a concert at the Neighborhood Church in Atlanta on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.  (Ben Gray for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal

LISTEN

‘It’s UATL’ podcast: Protecting queer elders and beyond

24m ago

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s voters are sticking with her through her political evolution

Republicans see shutdown fight as a test for Ossoff’s 2026 playbook

Featured

Mathew Palmer, a former Delta Air Lines employee, at his home in Atlanta on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. Palmer was fired less than two weeks after writing a post on social media about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
EXCLUSIVE

Delta flight attendant fired for Kirk-related social post speaks out

Mathew Palmer, a Delta flight attendant, was suspended by the airline the day after writing a Facebook post about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s voters are sticking with her through her political evolution

Congresswoman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s supporters are sticking with her even as she splits from Republican Party leadership

Truck driver arrested after 8th victim found in wreckage of I-85 crash

A tractor-trailer struck the back of a Dodge van, causing the van to go up in flames. The crash involved 6 vehicles, one of which was a van transporting 37 cats to a shelter.