Historic Martin Luther King Jr. Pool Re-Opens in Atlanta

Photo Courtesy: Cathleen Pruden

After being shut down for structural problems in 2012, a swimming staple in the Atlanta community has re-opened five years later. According to the Atlanta Loop, hundreds of people gathered in Atlanta to celebrate the opening of the new Martin Luther King Jr. pool on Oct. 30.

Originally built in the 70s, the pool had a great impact on the King family since Dr. King was an avid swimmer.

“My mother labored, back when my father was assassinated, she labored over ensuring that this community, this greater Auburn community, would have a facility where young people could come and especially enjoy swimming,” Dr. Bernice King, his daughter, said at the ceremony.

But the benefits of this pool did not stop there. While community members of all ages relied on it for fun and health purposes, it was also home to the Atlanta Dolphins swim team, where countless children spent hours at swim practice.

One of those swimmers, Sabir Muhammad, went on to compete at Stanford, where he earned 25 All-American honors and set three NCAA, U.S. Open and American records. He was the first African-American swimmer to set an American record, and then went on to win both silver and bronze at the 2000 Short Course World Championships. He is thrilled to see the pool back up and running.

“I love what it stands for,” he said. “This pool, the city of Atlanta program, we were one of a handful of minority programs in the country.”

“There was a time when the African-American community was not taught to swim and have been discouraged from being in aquatics,” Councilman Kwanza Hall added.

He is confident that the new building will continue to progress swimming knowledge and ability throughout the entire community.

While the impact it will have on its community is priceless, the pool itself cost $23.5 million dollars and was funded by the Renew Atlanta infrastructure bond. The building also includes an indoor track and basketball court. It is located a few blocks away from the original pool.

Photos of the new natatorium can be found here.

The International Swimming Hall of Fame, the Atlanta Loop and WABE contributed to this report.

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Jim Bowser

6 years ago

Hopefully, their Grass Roots swimming will become as dominant as the states Grass Roots tennis.

Carri Gibbs

6 years ago

Did they replace the 6 lanes for lap swimming?