Old Zion Baptist Church

Can you imagine a church playing a key role in the fight for civil rights? In front of you stands Old Zion Baptist Church, an unassuming building on Third and LaSalle streets. Old Zion Baptist Church is more than just a place of worship. It played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. On February 14, 1957, a group of prominent Baptist pastors and activists from across the South gathered here. They wanted to establish an organization that would fight for equal rights for all. At this meeting, they founded the Southern Leadership Conference, which later became the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an organization that would become known for its nonviolent protests against segregation. It was here that a young preacher named Martin Luther King Jr. was chosen as the first president of the SCLC. The church was witness to the beginning of a movement that would change the course of American history and continue to inspire generations. A plaque on the exterior of the church commemorates this pivotal moment. You’ll notice a plot across the street with plans for a memorial to depict the SCLC’s founding. The story of civil rights in America is deeply intertwined with the story of Old Zion Baptist Church. In its quiet exterior, a powerful history unfolds, reminding us of the ongoing struggle for equality and reminding us of the strength and resilience of the human spirit.