Streets and Visions Alive

May 18th was a Sunday afternoon in NPU-T like no other.

In some ways the day marked the end of an era for our community, as it was the last of West End icon Kebbi Williams’ Music in the Park Festivals to ever be anchored by the now closed Gallery 992. In other ways, however, it was as if nothing had changed at all, with the 34th Annual Malcolm X Festival proudly celebrating the 100th birthday of the late great el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz just a few blocks over. Simultaneously coursing through it all was the relative newcomer - Atlanta Streets Alive - a harbinger, perhaps, of changes yet to come that delighted many and bemused a few.

Churches opened their doors, breakdancers battled, bubbles alighted, and shoulders swayed. NPU-T gave out ice-cold “NPU-Tea” that was good enough for one happy recipient to declare that somebody had put their foot in it.

Throughout the afternoon, the view from the ground offered compelling evidence that, despite our nation’s ever-growing political, social, and economic challenges, we are still making progress in our neighborhoods - halting though it may be - towards the Beloved Community which that most good and famous friend of Rev. Ralph David Abernathy spoke of so many years ago.

Yes, Atlanta’s streets were indeed alive, and so too was Rev. Dr. King’s prophetic vision of love, justice, and solidarity. If you were there, it’s likely that you felt it too. And how fitting that we should glimpse that vision on a street named for one of his closest friends and confidants - a man who would continue to spread the wisdom of Dr. King’s teachings long after his assassination.

Check out the Atlanta Streets Alive Instagram Page for some photos from the event.

We put one or two in the NPU-T Photo Gallery as well!