Thread by @Defunctland

Let's take a break from everything and learn about amusement park history...

Specifically, Funtown in Atlanta, the park that Yolanda King wanted to visit so badly, but couldn't because of racism and bigotry. Dr. King tells the story best:

Funtown was a very small park with a hefty advertising budget. It seemed to be closer to the bowling alley/mini golf/go-kart hybrid parks we're used to seeing today.

I believe this is a picture of it, but have not been able to confirm.

Funtown played a fairly significant supporting role in the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. King's speeches, being mentioned in Letter From a Birmingham Jail. "...when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old...

"...daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children."

And so Funtown became a demonstration location. Here is one piece in 1963 about the park shutting down because of an integration attempt by a group of mixed teenagers.

It was hard to argue why Yolanda and other children of color should not be allowed in an amusement center. Even in retrospect, decades later, the situation still makes people confront the realities of their upbringings in this country. (Source: AJC)

Was Funtown ever integrated? It's actually not clear. Some sources state that Dr. King and his family did visit the park, but others claim that it closed before integration. Some claim that it closed so it would not have to integrate. ajc.com/news/local/exp…

The park closed in 1967, the same year that Six Flags Over Georgia opened. The mini golf and bowling alley remained for a short time but were also eventually abandoned. (Photo Source: AJC)

The park was critical for some as a lens to view the Civil Rights Movement.

Even Yolanda King herself later stated she didn't understand what was happening until her mother, Coretta Scott King, explained:

"Your father is going to jail so that you can go to Funtown."

Even our fun, silly, escapist world of theme parks is not exempt from the realities of this country and world. Today, the struggle is not as simple and concise as integrating an amusement park, but it's just as critical.

So if you want to start small and do something meaningful in the world of theme parks, go follow Black creators in this space. Here's a launching point:
@shawngorlando @hecallsmePP @TCJaalin