MLK’s Montgomery Church: Wanda Battle on Dexter Avenue King Memorial + Civil Rights History, Hope & “This Little Light of Mine” ✨
After Reality with Courtney Robertson
Courtney Robertson
4.5 • 722 Ratings
🗓️ 15 January 2026
⏱️ 61 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, I’m joined by Wanda Battle — a Montgomery native, historian, and the founder of Legendary Tours — for a conversation that feels like stepping straight into living history. Wanda shares what it was like growing up in a segregated community with deep family ties to the Civil Rights Movement, and how those experiences shaped her lifelong mission to spread unity, light, and understanding through storytelling and music.
Wanda also reflects on her time as a curator at the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, offering a powerful, personal perspective on the leadership and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as well as Reverend Vernon Johns. Along the way, she shares meaningful memories from her tours, including a moving encounter with a former guest that captures exactly why Wanda’s presence leaves such a lasting impact.
Beyond the history, Wanda opens up about her own journey through adversity, what self-forgiveness has taught her, and why she believes choosing happiness and love is a daily decision — especially in today’s world. This conversation is a reminder to stay hopeful, stay curious, and keep our light on.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, welcome back to After Reality. Today's episode is truly special because my guest isn't |
| 0:07.1 | just someone who has studied Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She's somebody who has witnessed history. |
| 0:13.8 | She owns and operates the legendary tours company. I'm honored to welcome Wanda Battle, former curator of the Dexter Avenue King |
| 0:24.1 | Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, and somebody who has actually met Dr. King |
| 0:30.8 | when she was young. |
| 0:32.1 | My husband, Umberto, met Wanda while he was in Montgomery for a legal conference. |
| 0:40.3 | And that experience stayed with him. And honestly, stayed with our whole family. |
| 0:42.3 | Every time we sing this little light of mine, we think about the moment she invited him to come up and sing with him. |
| 0:49.3 | The whole group, he texted me afterwards. |
| 0:52.3 | Like, I just sang on stage. Anyway, Wanda is not only a |
| 0:55.9 | witness to the past. She's a breath of fresh air in the present. To her, love is a lifestyle. |
| 1:01.6 | She is truly love and light. And you can feel it in the moment she speaks. She is the definition |
| 1:07.2 | of unity of community. Wanda, battle. I am so grateful you are here. Welcome to the show. |
| 1:16.9 | I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for inviting me, Courtney. Oh, gosh. I, you know, I mean what I say. |
| 1:23.8 | You are a household name in our house. My husband, before we had three kids who's here, |
| 1:29.6 | he's going to, I want to see if you remember this face. We sing this little light of mine |
| 1:34.5 | because he did a tour. The thing I love about my husband is he's very curious. He was there for |
| 1:40.7 | a legal conference and he's like, I'm going to go check out the Dexter Museum. |
| 1:44.5 | Most people would just be like, oh, I'm going to be lazy in my hotel. |
| 1:47.8 | And the experience really stuck with him for sure. |
| 1:51.9 | So I don't know if you remember my husband, but he's here before he heads off to work. |
| 1:56.6 | Here's Embarso. |
... |
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