The abandoned City
door Arno Klos
Martin-Luther-King five-day event
To commemorate the march from Selma to Montgomery, 55 years ago from 21 to 25 March 1965, 5 circular walks of 16-20 km were set out on these days in Amsterdam from the Martin Luther Kingpark, together exactly the distance of the march from Selma to Montgomery: 87 km. The routes go through 15 parks and past places reminiscent of Dr. King, racism, the history of slavery and WWII. The five-day march is part of Monument for Martin Luther King, to keep the dream alive. (see www.mlk50.nl)
But, uh…
The Selma Remembrance Walk 2020, or the Martin-Luther-King five-day event, had to be cancelled at the last minute. Everything had already been printed and ordered and could not be withdrawn. The collaboration with the Amsterdam Museum, CBK Amsterdam, Cinecenter and the Weespertrekvaart Mannenkoor, which were to sing ‘We shall overcome’, was also cancelled. A week before the start, all museums and restaurants had to close their doors due to the corona pandemic.
The bottom line was that I, the inventor of the project, walked the 87 km on my own. It was a strange, surrealistic experience. But also quiet and beautiful because the city had room to breathe, spring was cheering and the weather was fantastic. We shall overcome.
The MLK Vijfdaagse can be run at any time and I hear from more and more sides that people walk the routes individually or with their partner. With that the project is still a success and has acquired its right to exist as an educational and active monument to Amsterdam.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
by Airco Caravan
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