Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Civil rights church in Montgomery, United States
Dexter Avenue Baptist Church is a brick building with a steeple at the corner of Dexter Avenue and Decatur Street, a short walk from the Alabama State Capitol. The interior holds space for services and tours, and the rooftop includes a viewing area along with meeting rooms for larger and smaller gatherings.
The building was completed in 1889 and was renamed several times before receiving its current name in 1978. Between 1954 and 1960 it became a center of the early civil rights movement when the bus boycott was organized from here.
The interior mural stretches over 47 feet and shows scenes from Martin Luther King's work between 1955 and 1968. Visitors see moments from his time as pastor and activist, which were opened to the public after his death in 1978.
Tours show the ground floor and upper rooms, including the former pastor's study and the view from the rooftop. The rooms are reached by stairs, so visitors with limited mobility should ask ahead which areas are accessible.
The congregation began in 1877 in a former slave trader's building and later moved to the current structure. The later addition King Memorial was added after the pastor was murdered in 1968.
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