HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Although Martin Luther King Jr. Day was Monday, people across North Alabama are still telling the stories of his legacy. The folks at Calhoun Community College and Huntsville Revisited joined together to share some of those stories.
Founder of Huntsville Revisited, William Hampton, may have dedicated an hour or so talking about King amongst college students today but during all other hours of the day, Hampton is busy keeping history alive here in Huntsville.
"Our mission is to share the stories of our ancestors, the stories that are left out of the narrative of Huntsville- North Alabama, primarily Madison County, and Dr. King is a part of that history when he came to town in 1962," said Hampton.
He is particularly passionate about the history here because he has deep roots here.
"I'm a sixth-generation Huntsvillian and it sparked an interest when I would get to spend time with my great-grandparents, who were born in the 19th century. And those stories just lit a fire in me to preserve their legacy, their heritage and their histories and of course that encompass Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama," said Hampton.
He also expresses the importance of retelling history with our mouths, so that we don't actually repeat history in reality.
"Well, one of my favorite songs- I quote this lyric quite a bit, it's a song called 'Generations', and it states that, 'generations will reap what I sow, I can pass on a curse or a blessing to people I never know.' And, you know, again, we have to learn the lessons. You know, if I go and I touch a stove and I burn my hand... I want you, I want future generations to learn from my experiences from my missteps, so they don't have to make that same mistake again. Some people say well experience, I need to have my own experiences, but not in every situation. So the good and the bad, let's learn from the past and move forward from that."
For more information about Huntsville Revisited, click here.