Honoring Jazz: an early American art form
This post contains mature language. April is National Jazz Appreciation Month. Jazz remains a highly celebrated art form and inspires artists in other genres to this day. Jazz music had a critical role in the Civil Rights Movement and was integral to African American history. The music genre was born from the work songs of […]
John Lewis: Freedom Rider
In a 1961 strategy meeting, members of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) gather in Alabama to discuss their next moves. Key among them is a young activist named John Lewis, a member of SNCC who had been attacked by the Ku Klux Klan in Rock Hill, South […]
James H. Laue
Photographs taken at the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968, have indelibly etched our museum’s landmark in America’s collective memory. These famous images were taken in the midst of the chaos that ensued after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot on the balcony outside Room 306. In the first photo, Shelby County Sherriff’s Deputy […]
Letter to Coretta Scott King
The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, caused shock throughout America. His loss was mourned not only in our country, but throughout the whole world, and people’s reactions ran the gamut of emotions. Both civil rights organizers and the federal government urged citizens to exercise calm, but nevertheless, violence broke […]
Ben Branch
Musician Ben Branch was at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968. He had returned to his hometown at the behest of the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) and Dr. Martin Luther King to participate and play at an upcoming rally. In an interview for the Library of Congress oral history project, Branch […]
Lorraine Motel
For this month’s blog, I want to share two photographs from our Lorraine Motel archive collection. The National Civil Rights Museum provides an engaging narrative of the civil rights struggle, but few know the story behind our most important artifact, the motel building itself. In 1945, a local African American businessman, Walter Bailey (no relation […]
Honoring Cultural and Artistic Heritage This Black History Month
This past Black History Month, the National Civil Rights Museum dedicated its focus to celebrating the significant contributions of African Americans to the nation’s cultural and artistic heritage. Through a variety of events and on-demand content, the museum highlighted the pivotal role of arts and culture in the Civil Rights Movement, featuring evocative lectures, performances, and […]
Stacey Abrams: Champion of Voting Rights Honored at the National Civil Rights Museum
Every year, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, bestows its prestigious Freedom Award upon individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of civil and human rights. In 2023, one of the distinguished honorees is none other than Stacey Abrams, a dedicated advocate for voting rights. Abrams has dedicated her life to […]
Letter to the Community: Response to Video in the Murder of Tyre Nichols
“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 […]
Museum Statement on the death of Tyre Nichols
“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 […]
Museum Statement on the Passing of Dr. Charles A. Champion
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 […]
Museum Selects Russell Wigginton as New President
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 […]