Before Martin Luther King Jr. became a Civil Rights icon with his likeness fixed in stone or bronze, he developed a deep affinity for New Orleans — its food, and especially its people.
When King came to the city in the late 1950s, he found a network of locals working diligently, believing that change could be built in churches and dining rooms, in whispered strategy, and in shared risks taken after nightfall.
As we observe the King holiday this week, we should also remember the organizers, church leaders and everyday activists whose work might not carry King’s iconic recognition, but who nonetheless carried the Civil Rights Movement forward…