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Wanda Howard Battle, tour guide at the church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached, sang while giving tours and teaching about the king’s legacy.
Wanda Howard Battle, tour guide at the church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached, sang while giving tours and teaching about the king’s legacy.
Photo: Provided
Wanda Howard Battle, tour guide at the church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached, sang while giving tours and teaching about the king’s legacy.
Wanda Howard Battle, tour guide at the church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached, sang while giving tours and teaching about the king’s legacy.
Photo: Provided
Teaching civil rights through song
Wanda Howard Battle, who spoke at Illinois College on February 16, feels blessed to have the talent to sing while giving tours of the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama – where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from 1954 to 1954 preached in 1960.
“When visitors sing, we sing songs of freedom,” said Battle on Friday.
Battle is the tour director at Memorial Church and said she tours people from all over the world from all kinds of cultures.
“Singing brings everyone together, it changes lives,” she said, adding that in 2019 200,000 people had come through in the church.
“People come one way and those who feel abandoned feel another way,” she said.
Battle’s conversation with IC students about civil rights spread the word of love and unity and reminded her why she loves to talk about such topics.
“They were very dedicated,” Battle said of the students. “That’s why I love these conversations.”
During her talk, Battle wanted to make sure that the message King preached about unity and unity as a society continues to vibrate in modern times.
“I hope they continue these talks,” said Battle. “We have to educate ourselves.”
Battle, who studied vocal performance at Spelman College, Atlanta, began tours of the church on May 1, 2014 and has loved every second of what she does ever since.
“People are engaged to Dr. King and my goal is to encourage people to love,” she said. “We also need to know how to love and value ourselves.”
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