Willimantic honors Martin Luther King Jr.

Jan. 18—WILLIMANTIC — When Martin Luther King Jr. visited Connecticut for two summers as a Morehouse College student, the Atlanta native was surprised how integrated the state was.

During an event at the America Museum Monday night, museum director Beverly York said the civil rights activist experienced "cultural shock" while working at a tobacco farm in Simsbury during the 1940s.

"In his diary, he talks about Connecticut as one of the first places he could experience desegregation," she said.

York shared little-known stories about King Jr. during "LiberTea featuring Martin Luther King Jr" during a presentation on Monday, which was Martin Luther King Day.

The federal holiday celebrates King's birthday, which is Jan. 15.

The museum is located in the Eastern CT Veterans Community Center building on Crescent Street. In 2010, a group of Simsbury High School students did research to learn about King's time in Simsbury. In recognition of the civil rights activist's achievements, the students were involved with the dedication of a new memorial.

That memorial, "The MLK in CT Memorial," which is on the grounds of the Simsbury Free Library, was unveiled on Jan. 18, 2021.

"It's beautiful," said York, who teaches history at Quinebaug Valley Community College. "The glass panels allow sunlight to illuminate the words of King." York informed the audience about the achievements of King, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize at age 35 in 1964, the youngest to receive the honor at the time.

He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor by President Jimmy Carter posthumously in July 1977, which York referred to as "the highest honor anyone can get."

In recognition of King's work, RiseUP for Arts, a non-profit promoting public art, has initiated a partnership

AMERICA, Page 4