The civil rights era is more than just a memory or a time frame, this was life. In the south especially around the Mississippi delta black people have been rewarded by documents, keys to cities and even monuments. Places like Washington D.C. and Atlanta endorse museums and monuments for African Americans who worked for equality and civil rights in particular areas to pay homage to the works they have done. The south takes part in what is known as the “won cause” by presenting people or places that have made a major change within the community with a monument or plaque. One would have to ask if it was for monetary purposes or to inform the generations to come of the great works that had been done during that time.
Located in Grenada Mississippi on the corner of Pearl Street and Water Street, Belle Flower Missionary Baptist church was used as the meeting place during the civil rights era. Belle Flower is the oldest church in the city of Grenada and believed in change for the better within the community. It has opened its doors to several people who helped bring justice to not only Grenada County, but the nation. Martin Luther King, Jr. paid Belle Flower a visit in the 1960s to help school integration within the community. Once Dr. King spoke with the people from the community and there were several young people present who shared the same thoughts and views as he did. At a recent church anniversary one of the children who took a picture with King during this time, Eva Lemon, spoke with the congregation and educated them on what was going on within the community as she was growing up in the civil rights era.
Belle Flower was given a monument that spoke to the community and shows the appreciation that Grenada held for this church and the accomplishments they had, but what does it mean to the black community now? Belle Flower is located in a more urban part of town where black people are the majority for that particular area. The church is located in the center of it all. The church is a member of the National Registered Historical Landmark which opens the church to receive more outside money from tourist and visitors who enjoy learning more about civil rights and history in general. Because of the location the church brings in tourist, tourist bring money and endorsements, and with that comes the hopes that African Americans would try to preserve what the community has known as the “good ole days” by maintaining some of the same buildings and housing projects. This raises a question, if there is a particular amount of revenue coming into the community because of its accomplishments, should that money be used to build up the area and uplift the community.
