Category: National Civil Rights Museum
LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY
“Every man of humane convictions must decide on the protest that best suits his convictions, but we must all protest.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his speech “Beyond Vietnam,”
April 4, 1967 at Riverside Church in New York City.
Watching the horrible circumstances that resulted in Tyre Nichols’ death is hard to stomach. It’s never okay to normalize the beating of Black bodies, regardless of the...
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“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The National Civil Rights Museum mourns another tragedy in the death of Tyre Nichols. We extend our deepest sympathy to his family fighting for justice in his killing. A killing while in police custody. A traffic stop that resulted in his death.
We call for justice for Tyre Nichols. We call for continued immediacy in gathering the facts and...
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We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Charles A. Champion, a community pillar, pharmacist, and master compounder of Champion’s Pharmacy and Herb Store since 1981. Our deepest condolences to the Champion Family.
The Champion Family’s ties are intertwined with the Museum through the Lorraine Motel’s history. In 1958, Dr. Champion married Carolyn Bailey, the daughter of the Lorraine’s owners, Walter and Loree Bailey, at the motel. From 2016-2020, the...
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Sunday, July 31, 2022
The National Civil Rights Museum mourns the passing of 2011 Freedom Award honoree and sports pioneer, William Felton Russell. Following baseball legend Jackie Robinson’s example, Bill Russell believed it was his responsibility as a celebrity to use his platform to stand up for positive social change.
Bill Russell was an outspoken advocate for civil rights. He was one of the first celebrities to proudly call himself “Black,” when “Negro" was still the accepted...
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at Sunday, July 31, 2022
Monday, October 18, 2021
The National Civil Rights Museum expresses deep sorrow in the passing of 1997 Freedom Award honoree, Secretary Colin L. Powell.
Secretary Powell was appointed by President George W. Bush as the 65th Secretary of State in 2000, becoming the first African American Secretary of State in the U.S. Powell was a professional soldier for 35 years, during which time he held a myriad of command and staff positions and rose to the rank of four-star general. His last assignment, from...
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at Monday, October 18, 2021
The National Civil Rights Museum mourns the passing of civil rights icon Bob Moses, a visionary leader, innovative educator and champion for voting rights. Moses received the museum’s Freedom Award in 2014.
Bob Moses was born Robert Parrish Moses in Harlem, NY. He understood that access to the ballot for the most underserved required educating the electorate, not only to mitigate obstacles to voting, but also to provide opportunity for economic advancement. As a...
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Thursday, July 1, 2021
The National Civil Rights Museum has named Dr. Russell Wigginton as the museum’s next president. Wigginton will begin his new position on August 1. He brings 29 years of experience in education, philanthropy, executive management and program development, as well as strategic planning and partnership building.
Museum Board Chairman Herb Hilliard stated, “We are fortunate to be able to attract someone of Russ’s background and experience to serve as our next President....
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at Thursday, July 1, 2021
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
By Herb Hilliard
Chair, Museum Board of Directors
Terri Lee Freeman answered the call to lead the National Civil Rights Museum in November 2014. She arrived just a few months after the museum’s most expansive renovation. She came to the museum understanding the huge investment and brought with her a new perspective on what the museum could represent in not only telling the story of the civil rights movement, but extending the story through the museum’s outreach and...
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at Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Thursday, January 7, 2021
Museum Statement Regarding the Insurrection at Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021
Dr. King once said, “We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.”
Words matter. Leadership matters.
The siege on Capitol Hill yesterday during the joint Congress’ ratification of the presidential election should be condemned, not coddled. What the world witnessed yesterday was not a protest, but a riotous mob and an insurrection. We need to call...
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at Thursday, January 7, 2021
As he approached the podium, Bayard Rustin was determined and elated. He expected about 100,000 marchers to converge at the Washington Monument on August 28, 1963. To his delight, approximately 250,000 people cheered as he listed the demands of the march. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom began after eight weeks of recruiting marchers, coordinating buses and marshals, scheduling speakers, and managing logistics. Despite Rustin’s critical role as the march’s chief...
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