Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s only visit to Fort Worth left lasting impact
FORT WORTH, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. only made one visit to Fort Worth in his lifetime, but his brief trip left a lasting impact.
In October 1959, he gave a speech at the old Majestic Theater downtown, despite some anger, hate and a bomb threat.
It's title?
"A Great Time to Be Alive."
Bob Ray Sanders, longtime Fort Worth journalist and author of "Calvin Littlejohn: Portrait of a Community in Black and White," said it's important to keep in mind that 1959 was still a very segregated time in Fort Worth.
Littlejohn, who documented the Black community in Fort Worth for more than 50 years, took the only photos of Dr. King's trip to Fort Worth.
"In those days, the white media–newspapers and television, radio–didn't cover the Black community," Sanders said.
When Dr. King landed at Love Field, his hosts immediately brought him to the Baker Funeral Home on Fort Worth's Southside. It was a safe place where they could map out the pastor's day.
"He had to be secretive," said Lauren Phillips, director of research with Visit Fort Worth. "He had to lay low."
The 30-year-old was touring the country to promote equality.
While he was in town, he got barbecue with a friend and attended a reception at the home of TCU professors. Dr. King wasn't allowed to stay at any of the downtown hotels.
"So he spent the night in a Southside home from someone who'd met him before, who knew him," Sanders said. "I know what it meant to this city. Some of the top African-American leaders in this town showed up for him. They were not afraid. They showed up for him, supported him, so it was a remarkable time for Fort Worth."
About 400 people came to hear the civil rights leader speak at what was then the Majestic Theater, which was later torn down to make room for the convention center.
The venue was integrated for the first time.
"Blacks were able to go through the front door of that theater and didn't have to sit in the balcony," Sanders said.
There's a historical marker on Main Street, near 9th Street, commemorating his visit.
"It was just so fulfilling to be able to go to some of those spots and be able to say, 'Oh wow, I'm in the presence of Dr. King's footsteps while he was here in Fort Worth,'" said Phillips, who spent MLK Day a few years ago on a bike tour of the places he went.
She encourages others to take the journey to reflect on his enduring legacy.
"Fort Worth has a beautiful community," she said. "The Black history is strong, it runs deeps, and I just want to continue to share the story with others."
