The National Center for Civil and Human Rights hosts The Brave Forum, presented by Gallagher Insurance
This June, The Center had the privilege of hosting the inaugural Brave Forum, a networking lunch and learn for DEI advocates, professionals, students, and the public to discuss the challenges facing DEI today and strategies to empower positive workplace change with our expert facilitators. This year’s theme “Navigating the New Era of DEI” gave an alternative perspective for examining DEI that most of us don’t often consider: homelessness. With diversity, equity, and inclusion under acute threat in our communities and the workplace, The Center and Gallagher Insurance developed this timely forum to discuss the path forward. The Center’s DEI Lead, Phil Polk, began the day by welcoming attendees with an explanation of how effective DEI work happens in brave spaces. Safe spaces impede crucial discussions of real DEI work to happen. Brave spaces push you to move past areas of comfort and share experiences that achieve a greater understanding. Polk invited attendees into a brave space where participants could all feel comfortable sharing their perspectives. Attendees then broke out into groups throughout the museum, for an extended conversation on the topics of: Diversity and Intersectionality in The Center’s March on Washington exhibit Equality vs. Equity in the Center’s Human Rights Gallery The Center’s expert DEI facilitators, Attallah Pamoja and Martha Caldwell, guided the discussions. Attendees shared challenges they faced regarding race, aspects of the workplace they would like to see change, and how to accomplish that transformation. Powerful Center backdrops with images from the March on Washington and maps of human rights violations worldwide enhanced the conversations with context, making them more impactful. After the breakout sessions, attendees returned to The Center’s Glenn Room for lunch and an exclusive screening of Dr. Terence Lester’s documentary, “Love Beyond Walls.” Dr. Lester’s film chronicles the time he spent on the streets of Tennessee with the unhoused community after state legislators passed House Bill 978, which made sleeping outdoors a Class E felony. The documentary humanizes homelessness and highlights the roles of race and inequity in the community. The post-screening Q&A with Dr. Lester and The Center’s LGBTQ Institute Executive Director, Tim’m West, was a highlight of the day. They discussed allyship and how employees could understand their roles in fulfilling Dr. King’s dream of creating a beloved community. The forum ended with a self-guided tour of The Center, a book giveaway, and a signing with Dr. Lester. As an advocate for cultural transformation, The Center continues to spread the messages of diversity, equity, and inclusion through training conducted by our expert facilitators. The Brave Forum presented a unique opportunity for The Center to provide the public with moderated versions of the sessions that DEI clients experience. We want to thank our sponsor, Gallagher Insurance, for partnering with The Center and supporting this forum. To learn more about DEI Experiences at The Center, visit civilandhumanrights.org/DEI.
A Statement from The Center on SCOTUS Decision
On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a decision, effectively diminishing the impact of affirmative action by ending consideration of race in college admissions. The decision overturned more than four decades of precedence and ignored the unfair impact of racial injustice in American society. Since 1978, affirmative action in college admissions has been a path to a better future for Black and other minority students, providing access to higher education and a path to economic advancement. The Court’s decision will effectively limit higher education access for marginalized populations, which will negatively impact all students. A diverse student body strengthens respect for humanity and promotes understanding by ensuring college campuses benefit from different perspectives and lived experiences. In light of this decision, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights encourages educational institutions, parents, and students to reaffirm values of equity and diversity and to be vigilant in demanding fairness and equity on campuses and throughout society.
Delta Airlines and the Evers Family
Leading up to this year’s Power to Inspire, The Center has facilitated several interviews with Reena Evers-Everette, Executive Director of The Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute and daughter of PTI honoree Mrs. Myrlie Evers-Williams and late civil rights activist Medgar Evers. Below Evers-Everette graciously shares how Delta Airlines aided her family in a time of great need. Reena Evers-Everette flew for the first time at age 9, just a week after her father, Medgar Evers, was shot and killed outside their home on June 12, 1963. Her mother, Myrlie Evers-Williams, and local civil rights activists tried frantically to secure a flight to Washington, DC. Medgar Evers – a former U.S. Army sergeant and World War II veteran – was to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full honors. In the segregated South, Delta was the only airline in Jackson, Mississippi, that offered to fly the Evers family, according to Evers-Everette. “My father and mother had previously flown on Delta to New York or California for conferences and business,” said Evers-Everette. “Delta was the airline of the South, period.” On June 19, a Delta plane took off from Hawkins Field and brought the Evers family safely and quickly to Washington, DC. “It was a scary but exciting time to step onto a plane,” said Evers-Everette. “I noticed the Delta agents were all white. They were courteous, respectful, and worked as best they could, given the tragic circumstances, to make the flight a positive experience for me and my brother. The pilot came out to meet my family.” Understanding the urgency of bringing the Evers family together, Delta was the only airline that allowed Medgar’s older brother, Charles, also a civil rights activist, to quickly board a plane from Chicago to DC. Delta returned the Evers family to Mississippi and Illinois. In the years since, the Evers family has maintained a strong relationship with the airline, often flying Delta for the family’s annual trip to visit Medgar’s grave in Arlington, and for business. Delta also supported the Evers family as they continued their advocacy for justice. “When my mother became the NAACP’s board chair, Delta was a big contributor to the organization,” said Evers-Everette. Although she eventually had a 32-year career with United Airlines, Evers-Everette says Delta remains special to her and her family. “It is with profound gratitude that I convey my appreciation of their respect at such a difficult time when that (spirit) was uncommon between races to provide that in my and my family’s life. We have seen Delta repeatedly demonstrate its integrity throughout the decades. Thank you, Delta, for always having the best for each customer that comes into your service.”
Women of the Movement to Be Honored at Power to Inspire 2023
Women played a huge role in planning and executing the March on Washington but were nearly unrecognized during the event. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the March, and The Center is hosting a one-night-only performance entitled “Let Us March On…” that will transport audience members back to August 28, 1963, and recognize contributions of the women behind the March. Our honoree this year is Mrs. Myrlie Evers-Williams. Get to know her and the other women of the movement! Myrlie Evers-Williams Myrlie Evers-Williams and her husband, activist Medgar Evers, opened the first NAACP field office in Mississippi. The high-profile activists promoted voting rights, equal justice, and economic equality. Their impact on the community made them targets for racial violence, and Medgar Evers was shot and killed by white supremacists in June 1963. After her husband’s murder, Mrs. Evers-Williams continued the fight for equality and justice. Between 1995 and 1998, Mrs. Evers-Williams served as chair of the National Board of Directors of the NAACP and later established the Medgar Evers Institute in Jackson, Mississippi. Mrs. Evers-Williams’ work has earned her many tributes, including several honorary doctorates. She was named “Woman of the Year” in 1998 by Ms. Magazine and one of the “100 Most Fascinating Black Women of the 20th Century” by Ebony magazine. In 2013, Mrs. Evers-Williams delivered the invocation at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration, becoming the first woman and first non-clergy member to perform the prayer. Frankye Adams-Johnson Frankye Adams-Johnson is an educator, poet, speaker, and author. Growing up in Jackson, Mississippi, she was a prodigious youth organizer who helped organize numerous civil rights events, sit-ins, and marches, including a walk-out of her high school. She joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and worked closely with Medgar Evers as well as the NAACP and the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO). She moved to New York state in 1967, where she co-organized a branch of the Black Panther Party in White Plains. She later became a college professor and returned to Jackson where she teaches English at Jackson State University and eventually served as Chair for the Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement. Xernona Clayton Brady Xernona Clayton Brady is an American civil rights leader and broadcasting executive. She worked for the National Urban League and Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the civil rights movement. Later, Clayton went into television, where she became the first African American from the southern United States to host a daily primetime talk show. She became corporate vice president of urban affairs for Turner Broadcasting, created the Trumpet Foundation, was instrumental in the development of the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, convinced a Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan to denounce the Klan, and has been honored by the NAACP and the city of Atlanta for her work. Rutha Mae Harris Rutha Mae Harris channeled her civil rights activism through music saying, “without the songs of the movement, personally I believe that there wouldn’t have been a movement.” She, along with Bernice Johnson Reagon, Cordell Reagon, and Charles Nesbett, formed the SNCC Freedom Singers in Albany, Georgia. They sang in coffeehouses, colleges, theaters, and demonstrations across the U.S to raise money for the movement and share the stories of what was happening in the field. Harris later joined Reagon as part of Sweet Honey in the Rock. Still living in Albany, Harris taught at Monroe High School for 30 years and continues to bring joy and inspiration through song. Joan Trumpauer Mulholland Joan Trumpauer Mulholland is an American civil rights activist who was active in the 1960s. Due to her participation in a 1961 Freedom Ride she was arrested and endured two months in Mississippi State Penitentiary’s maximum-security unit. The following year she enrolled at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, as its first white student, representing her belief that integration must be a two–way street. She served as the local secretary of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Later, she established the Joan Trumpauer Mulholland Foundation, dedicated to educating youth about the civil rights movement and how to become activists in their communities. Karen Spellman Karen Spellman is a special events producer who formed her company in 1984, specializing in large-scale cultural and social justice programs. Her work in the civil rights movement began as a high school student in the Greensboro, North Carolina, NAACP youth chapter, where she participated in sit-ins for public accommodations. In 1963 she worked with SNCC and the Nonviolent Action Group (NAG). In 1966 she became SNCC’s national research director in Atlanta, Georgia. She contributed to SNCC’s newsletter, created “The Panther’s Claw” newsletter for the Lowndes County Freedom Organization, and produced the Afro American News Service that provided feature articles documenting the work of SNCC to the national Black press. Maria Varela Maria Varela is a Mexican American civil rights photographer, community organizer, writer, and teacher. She was active in many civil rights movements, advocating for indigenous communities and protecting cultural heritage within African American, Native American, and Mexican American communities. She brought a powerful photographic eye to SNCC from 1963 to 1967. Later settling in New Mexico, Varela created and supported several nonprofit organizations to help minority groups and started agricultural cooperatives and community health clinics. She co-founded Ganados del Valle in 1981, a nonprofit economic development corporation dedicated to helping Hispanic and Native American communities preserve their pastoral cultures, lands, and water rights. Learn more about this years Power to Inspire and purchase tickets for the inspiring “Let Us March On…” performance today.
The Center Honors Women of the March on Washington with immersive performance
Last month, The Center’s Marketing Director Autumn Duncan, in collaboration with History Made By Us’s Cameron Katz, wrote an article for Teen Vogue highlighting the role of women in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The write-up featured many women of the March , yet focused on the efforts of Dorothy Height, the only female member of the “Big Six” March organizers, and Anna Arnold Hedgeman, the only woman on the event’s administrative committee. The March aimed to establish a civil rights bill that would equally impact African American men and women. The bill’s goals included desegregating public facilities, integrating public schools, establishing voting rights for African Americans, and a federal ban on discrimination in employment. The March was effective and ultimately led to President Kennedy announcing plans for a comprehensive civil rights bill. Despite this critical accomplishment, civil rights leaders like Dorothy Height, Anna Arnold Hedgeman, Myrlie Evers, Daisy Bates, Diane Nash, and Gloria Richardson, who contributed significantly to the planning and execution of the March, are rarely mentioned in history books. On May 17, 6pm at the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Atlanta, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights will present a theatrical re-imagining of the March on Washington to commemorate its 60th anniversary and give the women of the March some well-overdue recognition. The one-night-only performance called “Let Us March On…” recreates moments from the March and honors the women who made the event possible. Part of The Center’s annual Power to Inspire event, we will celebrate civil rights legend Mrs. Myrlie Evers-Williams who, because of traffic, didn’t make it to the original March. She will be front and center for our immersive performance. “Let Us March On…” was written by acclaimed playwright and director Nikki Toombs and features an all-star cast that includes award-winning Broadway actress Maiesha McQueen as Mahalia Jackson, Brad Raymond as March organizer A. Phillip Randolph, and choreography by Victor Jackson. To be transported back to the event that gave birth to the iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, join us for this joyous event by purchasing your tickets today! Presented by the National Center for Civil and Human Rights as part of its annual Power to Inspire.
National Center for Civil and Human Rights Board of Directors Welcomes New Leaders
Two new members, experienced in corporate and operational leadership, will help advance The Center’s mission and expansion strategy Feb. 27, 2023 (ATLANTA) – The National Center for Civil and Human Rights (The Center) welcomed its new class of board of directors. The new directors are invited to serve two three-year terms. The new members are: Garry Capers, Division President, Cloud and Promotional Solutions, Deluxe Corporation; based in Atlanta Tim Wilkerson, Senior Vice President, Sales and Service, The Home Depot; based in Atlanta Selected after a months-long national process, the new board members bring extensive corporate and operational leadership experience to The Center. “We are deeply proud that The Center continues to attract exceptional leaders from Atlanta and around the country to help us carry out our mission to promote rights and justice, especially as we expand our campus and programming into a national hub for education, conversations, and training to inspire people to protect human dignity,” said the Hon. Shirley Franklin, The Center’s Board Chair. At the end of 2022, three members rolled off the board at the end of their terms: Susan Bell, Doug McNeely, and Paul Viera. “We’re eager to work with our new board members and thank our outgoing members for their service,” said Jill Savitt, The Center’s President and CEO. “The Center has benefited enormously from their guidance and dedication.” Brief biographies of new members are below. Full biographies and photos for all Center board members can be accessed at civilandhumanrights.org/about-the-center/staff-board/. Garry Capers is division president of Cloud and Promotional Solutions and member of the executive leadership team at Deluxe Corporation. A 15-year FinTech veteran with eight years of prior experience in management consulting, Capers has held leadership roles at ADP and Equifax. Prior to Equifax, Capers was a management consultant with Bain & Company focusing on retail and financial services sectors. Capers serves as a Board Director for OneSpan Inc., a Trustee for The Lovett School in Atlanta, and a member of the board of The Deluxe Foundation. He is an advisor for PayDN, a payments startup headquartered in Atlanta. Tim Wilkerson is senior vice president of sales & service at The Home Depot. In this role, he oversees Home Services, including installation operations, in-home sales, customer contact centers, as well as service provider sourcing, onboarding, and compliance. Previously, he led the merchandising execution team’s 25,000 associates to deliver in-store merchandising solutions that drive sales, enable speed, and create value for our stores, suppliers, and customers. Tim joined the Company in 1996 as an import distribution center assistant manager and has held numerous roles of increasing responsibility focusing on logistics and operations. About The Center’s Nominating Process The Center’s Nominating Sub-Committee, led by board member Katie Fahs, undertakes an annual process each spring to assess the mix of skills and expertise needed for The Center to fulfill its mission and then solicits nominations from the full board for the next board class to meet those needs. Current board members interview candidates and compile a slate that ensures the board has diverse voices. The board votes each fall for a new class. The Center’s board members are invited to serve two three-year terms. About the National Center for Civil and Human Rights The Center, founded in 2014, is a museum and human rights educational institution located in Atlanta, GA, the birthplace of the civil rights movement. We create dynamic and empathy- building experiences, teach history’s connection to the present, generate brave and difficult conversations, and inspire the change-maker in each of us to promote civil and human rights in our communities and the world. The Center connects the U.S. civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s to global human rights movements for the rights of people of color, women, immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ people, and other marginalized groups. For more information about The Center, visit our website at civilandhumanrights.org. Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – @ctr4chr, and LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncchr. Contact: James Richards, Communications Director | [email protected], 404.844.4692
Center and Partners Host 2nd Atlanta Civic Collaboratory
Members of the ATL Civic Collaboratory at the January Meeting Along with our partners, Atlanta History Center and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights gathered more than 40 leaders at the end of January for the second Atlanta Civic Collaboratory (ACC). The Collaboratory was developed as a city-wide initiative to foster mutual aid among civic leaders. The project is based on the National Civic Collaboratory developed by Citizens University, a Seattle-based non-profit organization that equips Americans to be civic catalysts. This collaboratory model has resonated with Atlanta civic leaders as our community faces extraordinary challenges, made more intense by disconnection and polarization, resource scarcity, competition, and silos. This model allows us to tackle these current challenges by building a sense of common purpose and collective power. The Collaboratory takes as a given that building trust and common purpose – and creating an ecosystem of mutual aid – can help us go further faster. Collaboratory meetings take place every four months. They consist of a welcome dinner the night before and a lively meeting the next day. The dinner and day-long meetings are core to building trust. When a group breaks bread and cultivates bonds of affection, we strengthen the fabric of local partnerships, which allows us to respond more effectively to community needs. The heart of the day-long gathering is a Rotating Credit Club. This is a time when members of the Collaboratory take turns presenting a project they are working on, and the rest of the Collaboratory offers specific commitments to move their project forward – in the form of funding, introductions, expertise, or elbow grease. Throughout the day, we also have group discussions, inviting everyone to give their perspectives on big questions facing Atlanta. At the first Collaboratory in August, Saba Long of the Atlanta Civic Circle presented a project to the Rotating Credit Club. They seek to address the communication breakdown between metro Atlanta residents, stakeholders, and elected officials. They detailed their goals of creating a data-driven community engagement platform that will be powered by a 10,000-person regional panel to act as a sounding board in real time. In January, Nia Mosby of Made By Us asked for support for Civic Season, a nationwide civics engagement campaign, now in its third year, that aims to reach 75 million people in the United States by 2026 – the number of Gen-Z that will be voting age. Maria Saporta and Ann Cramer of Atlanta Way 2.0 introduced their concept of creating a modern-day movement to bring together diverse stakeholders to improve community relationships, share resources and strengthen the civic fabric of our city through strategic meetings at neighborhood, city, and regional levels. And for the third presentation, Liz Lapidus of Root Local told the group about their goal to grow a sustainability movement in metro Atlanta by expanding their established Pollinator Network to 250 individuals and doubling their public programming, which convenes environmental allies, breaks down silos, and shares local stories. To date, dozens of commitments of help and support have been offered. This mutual investment of capital — social, intellectual, and institutional — has made the Collaboratory a uniquely influential network of action. We look forward to our future gatherings and sharing with you the exciting work our colleagues are undertaking to strengthen Atlanta.
Tyre Nichols Senseless Murder Demands Fundamental Police Culture Reform
The National Center of Civil and Human Rights expresses pain and outrage at the ongoing human rights violations committed by police officers in the wake of widespread demands for substantive police reform after George Floyd’s murder in 2020. Departments must heed the national call for reform, including instituting substantive training on protecting the human rights of all community members. Tragically, the abuse and murder of unarmed Black people by police continues. In January, Tyre Nichols – an artist and father to a 4-year-old son – died following a brutal assault from five Memphis police officers, nearly 100 yards from his mother’s home. We grieve for the Nichols family and join the national outcry for justice for Tyre Nichols’s death and for greater oversight of police departments. Importantly, law enforcement leaders must address the systemic racism embedded in their cultures and structures by incorporating human rights protections into law enforcement policies and practices. Instilling human rights norms and values into policing requires sustained human rights training to ensure law enforcement leaders and officers understand: The factors that put minority populations at risk for rights abuse at the hands of police How implicit bias impacts decision making at an individual level The importance of community policing and civilian oversight The unique requirements of policing in traumatized communities The history of policing in the United States, especially contemporary law enforcement’s origin as slave patrols and/or union breakers, and the role of police in enforcing segregation during the civil rights era The psychological impact of policing culture on individual officers As a human rights and educational organization, The Center and our partner, the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities (AIPG), recognize the crucial role of human rights training. We stand ready to address this crisis through our work with state and local police departments who seek to transform their cultures to protect the human rights and dignity of all people. We mourn the death of Tyre Nichols but remain determined to support solutions to help communities prevent future tragedies.
The Center’s Statement on Recent Gun Violence in California
The gun violence epidemic continues to devastate U.S. communities. Thirty-nine shootings have occurred so far in 2023, the most at this point than any year on record, according to CNN and the Gun Violence Archive. We are heartbroken for the lives lost in California at Half Moon Bay, this week, and at last week’s mass shooting in Monterey Park around the Lunar New Year Festival. What should have been a celebratory weekend is now a tragedy during one of the most important holidays for the Asian and Pacific Islander community. As a civil and human rights educational institution, The Center remains committed to confronting hatred in all its forms and to promoting and protecting the dignity of all people, everywhere. Violence impacting any community is a scourge in our society. Widespread gun violence is a human rights issue— that must be dealt with through sustained action. If you wish to support those recently affected by gun violence in their communities, you can access resources at Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Every Town Support Fund, and the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.
Center celebrates Dr. King’s legacy with a weekend of arts events, unveils Spring 2023 exhibition of Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection
Exhibition examines March on Washington’s 60th anniversary; activities include a panel discussion with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater leaders, a Palefsky Collision Project youth theater performance, live Radio One broadcasts, interactive games and storytelling; galleries open January 12 – 16 ATLANTA, Ga. (Jan. 4, 2023) – The National Center for Civil and Human Rights (The Center) presents a full holiday weekend of engaging and inspiring events to immerse visitors and families in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy. January 12 through January 16 (MLK Day) events include performances, a panel discussion, interactive storytelling, visual artist talkbacks, and activities throughout The Center’s galleries. “Dr. King’s belief in a beloved community is as relevant today as it was during the Civil Rights Movement,” said Jill Savitt, president and CEO of The Center. “This holiday is an opportunity for all of us to recommit ourselves to heed his call to build that beloved community—in our neighborhoods, city, state, and country. The Center’s 2023 King celebrations focus on arts and storytelling to inspire visitors of all ages to reflect on Dr. King’s vision of justice and equality, so that they may tap their power to change the world around them.” Hours and tickets are available at: https://www.civilandhumanrights.org/visit/. Events include: Thursday, January 12 12 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Jill Savitt serves as a panelist at The King Center Beloved Community Global Summit for discussions around “Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems.” 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle joins Jill Savitt; scholar, activist and historian Dr. Clarissa Myrick-Harris; and National Director of Ailey Camp Nasha Thomas for a discussion about art as a vehicle for social change. Panel moderator NBC News Correspondent Blayne Alexander will spotlight projects that reveal truth, awaken transformation, and recognize triumphs on the march to freedom such as The Center’s “Now is the Time…” exhibition about the March on Washington and Alvin Ailey’s new production of Survivors (1986) debuting at the Fox Theater February 16-19. Doors open at 6 p.m. A cocktail reception follows. Friday, January 13 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. The Center unveils its Spring 2023 thematic exhibition of selections from the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection. Now Is the Time: Remembering the Legacy of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom presented during the 60th anniversary year of the March, explores its organization and impact when 250,000 Americans gathered on the National Mall on August 28, 1963 to demand civil and economic rights. Collection artifacts include the original draft of Dr. King’s “Normalcy, Never Again” speech for the March in which the tremendous orator improvisationally transformed into his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. “’Now is the Time’ transports visitors to a movement and a moment that has inspired generations to fight for economic justice, voting rights, and equitable access to education and health care,” said Lance Wheeler, Director of Exhibitions. “As visitors view the artifacts, we hope they will reflect on Dr. King’s dream, how we have progressed since the March but also consider how oppressive systems have evolved to impede greater progress.” The full collection is owned by Morehouse College and housed at the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library. Saturday, January 14 – Monday, January 16 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Family Day activities in the galleries include interactive storytelling, featuring Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.? by Lisbeth Kaiser and Stanley Chow; a King action card to inspire visitors’ to create acts of service in their communities and offers an animated version of King’s “Dream” speech in partnership with Stanford University; plus games & puzzles, coloring stations, and giveaways. 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Savannah College of Art and Design students will lead visual talks among the galleries Rolls Down Like Water that immerses visitors in sights, sounds and interactive displays depicting the courage of groups and individuals working for equality for all during the American Civil Rights Movement; and Spark of Conviction, which enables visitors to make connections to the world of human rights. Sunday, January 15 (Dr. King’s birthday) 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Corporate and community leaders from across Atlanta will convene for an intimate, vulnerable, and thought-provoking experience, with guided conversations about Equitable and Affordable Housing in Atlanta for Hands on Atlanta’s 9th annual MLK Sunday Supper. Housing was a crucial part of Dr. King’s vision for economic justice. Participants will learn how to host their own conversations to generate action and build more equitable communities. Monday, January 16 (MLK Day) 11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Youth artists from The Alliance Theater’s Palefsky Collision Project return to The Center’s Glenn Room to perform theater inspired by their letters to Dr. King that display the inspirational power of collaboration. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Radio One will broadcast live onsite providing a soundtrack of soul stirring Hip Hop, R&B, and Gospel plus contests and trivia. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Family activities continue with the inclusion of Center-wide scavenger hunt to learn about Dr. King’s life and work through the Center’s permanent galleries. About the National Center for Civil and Human Rights The Center, founded in 2014, is a museum and human rights educational institution located in Atlanta, GA, the cradle of civil rights. We create dynamic and empathy- building experiences, teach history’s connection to the present, generate brave and difficult conversations about necessary issues, and inspire the change-maker in each of us to promote civil and human rights in our communities and the world. The Center connects the U.S. civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s to global human rights movements for the rights of people of color, women, immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ people, and other marginalized groups. Through our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative, the Campaign for Equal Dignity, the LGBTQ Institute, expansive educational offerings, and immersive and engaging storytelling we inspire each of us to reflect and think critically, exercise empathy in action, and create positive change locally and globally. For