Atlanta’s National Center for Civil and Human Rights celebrates 10-year anniversary
Atlanta’s National Center for Civil and Human Rights (NCCHR) turns 10 years old this year, and it’s expected to expand by approximately 24,000 square feet in the near future, according to the Center’s director of exhibitions Lance Wheeler and director of communications James Richards.
In celebration, a new exhibit in the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. collection highlights how important the year 1964 was to the Civil Rights Movement.
The new exhibit’s title, “We Who Believe in Freedom: 1964 – A Transformative Year in Civil Rights,” is inspired by the tune “Ella’s Song” by Sweet Honey in the Rock, a sonic homage to Civil Rights leader Ella Baker.
The exhibit showcases a range of archival and interactive experiences that chronicle three significant events in the Civil Rights Movement:
- The Mississippi Freedom Summer
- The signing of the Civil Rights Act
- The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Martin Luther King Jr.
Families and visitors of the Center can catch the “We Who Believe in Freedom” exhibit all year.
After giving a brief tour to a small group of 7th and 8th graders, Wheeler said, “I think that it’s important to recognize, first, the Center is turning 10 years old. This year, we acknowledge that America has also aged in the last 10 years.”
“So we must ask ourselves, how do we keep telling the stories of yesterday and today, accurately, while also holding space for the more aged narratives of tomorrow?”
Every weekend in February, from 12-5 p.m., NCCHR, with support from PNC Bank, hosts family activities to celebrate the profound achievements of notable leaders in history, art, activism and science.
The City of Atlanta, with support from the Center, is launching a series of seminars that look at the history of northwest Atlanta’s Chattahoochee Brick Company. It will be hosted at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. The first seminar is on Feb. 17 from 1-3 p.m.
The Center is also set to host a film screening on Feb. 24 featuring the 2023 documentary “The Space Race.” This film, which premiered Feb. 12 on Disney+ and Hulu, delves into the overlooked narrative of racism within NASA, illuminating the enduring effects of racial injustice in the realm of science.
Following the screening, Carl McNair, the sibling of Ronald E. McNair, who tragically perished aboard the space shuttle Challenger on Jan. 28, 1986, will address attendees and autograph copies of his book “In the Spirit of Ronald E. McNair Astronaut, American Hero.”
Activities and giveaways will be held throughout the building. Learn more about all of NCCHR’s upcoming programming here.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated Feb. 15 at 11:20 AM.
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