The Famous Lorraine Motel
The Lorraine Motel was forever etched in America’s collective memory with the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, but even before that fateful day, the property at 450 Mulberry Street had a fascinating history in its own right. Before it was the Lorraine, it was the Marquette Hotel that catered to black clientele […]
In Memory of Rev. Samuel “Billy” Kyles
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles. Our deepest condolences to the Kyles family. Rev. Kyles was a beloved member of the National Civil Rights Museum family and a lifelong member of the National Civil Rights Museum board of directors. As a lasting tribute, he will be named board member […]
48 Years Later?
Museum President April 4, 1968 was a dark day in our nation’s history. On that date we lost the hope of many. For some, it simply solidified what they believed to be true — that hate and evil win once again. And, still for others the message was sent that even with […]
Self-Destruction: A Case Study of Violence and Hip Hop
by Ryan M. Jones Museum Educator In March 2016, the National Civil Rights Museum opened a controversial exhibition entitled Kin Killin’ Kin. Artist James Pate has created images comparing Black-on-Black violence to the history of terrorism by the Ku Klux Klan. The graphics show African American youth murdering each […]
Resolve to See the Promise
By Terri Lee Freeman Museum President It’s a new year — my favorite time of year because it is so symbolic. A new year is a signal for another chance and a fresh start. While it doesn’t mean we get to erase the past, it does suggest that we should learn […]
An Assault in South Carolina
By Terri Lee Freeman Museum President By now, we’ve all seen the video of the police officer assaulting – yes, I said assaulting – the female student in a South Carolina classroom. We’ve heard some of the video where the police officer asked the young woman, [and I’m paraphrasing] “…are […]
The Freedom Award: An Honor Well Defined & Well Deserved
By Terri Lee Freeman, Museum President In 1991 the National Civil Rights Museum began a tradition of taking the time to honor the ordinary people who did extraordinary things to secure, preserve and protect the rights guaranteed to all citizens of our great nation through the Constitution. These were the foot […]
Emmett Till 60 years later: the Untold Story
By Ryan Jones, Museum Historian Before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of a dream, before Rosa Parks stood up by continuing to sit, before Bloody Sunday, there was a brutal murder in the Mississippi Delta in 1955 that awakened the hearts and minds of an entire generation. The story of Emmett […]
#Katrina10
By Terri Lee Freeman Museum President Ten years ago, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. It’s considered one of the deadliest hurricanes and most destructive natural disasters in U.S. history. Hundreds of thousands of people along the Gulf Coast, especially in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, were displaced from […]
We?ve Got Work To Do
By Terri Lee Freeman Museum President On Saturday, August 15, 2015 the fight for freedom lost a soldier – Julian Bond. The life of Julian Bond is a message to young and old alike. As a college student, Julian Bond took the role of activist seriously, dropping out of […]
Who was Elbert Williams?
By Jim Emison Jim Emison is an author and retired courtroom lawyer who has spent three and a half years investigating Elbert Williams’s murder and is writing a book, Elbert Williams: First to Die. To read Emison’s article on Elbert Williams in the Encyclopedia of African American History and a short bio of […]
June 11, 1963
by Ryan M. Jones Tuesday, June 11, 1963 was a sweaty and humid day. The weather fit the climate of tension around Tuscaloosa, Alabama and throughout the state. For months, the University of Alabama was on edge and judgment had finally arrived. Two African-American students were going to be enrolled at the University under […]