The National Center for Civil and Human Rights Commemorates Juneteenth with New Performances for the Entire Family
Deluxe partners with The Center to create Juneteenth programming and resources that explore the end of slavery in the U.S. through music, dance, and culinary arts (June 15, 2021; Atlanta, GA) The National Center for Civil and Human Rights (The Center) will honor Juneteenth with engaging family programming in partnership with financial services company, Deluxe. On Friday, June 18 The Center will feature two programs: From Power to Power: A New Day of Freedom, a performance-based piece created in conjunction with Nikki Toombs and performers from her A La Carte Theatre Company Jubilee: A Juneteenth Experience, focused on the historical significance of music and recipes to celebrations of the Juneteenth holiday Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The portmanteau “Juneteenth” was created from the words “June” and “nineteenth,” which marks the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to gain control of the state and ensure all enslaved people were freed in 1865, two-and-a-half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The Center’s programs will explore the historical significance of Juneteenth and generate awareness around cultural expression around this day. Jill Savitt, President & CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights explains the importance of recognizing and celebrating the Juneteenth holiday. “Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery as well as the resilience and solidarity of the Black community. We honor it as one of the most historically consequential days in our country’s history, a day of triumph for human dignity over oppression. We also mark it as a day to recommit ourselves to confronting the legacies of racism in all its forms.” Deluxe’s support for these programs is part of its renewed focus on contributing to solutions to improve racial equity, says company leaders. On Juneteenth, employees participate in service projects and visit cultural institutions to reflect on the historical contributions of Black Americans, and the ongoing work to eradicate slavery’s legacy of racism in America. “Juneteenth is a day of celebration, service, and reflection upon what our forefathers and foremothers endured for our freedom,” said Paquel Austin, Vice President, Quality Engineering and Release Management at Deluxe & Lead for the company’s African American Employee Resource Group. “The Center aligns with our “One Deluxe” values of inclusivity, diversity, and equity. We share The Center’s mission to advance equitable civil and human rights for all people regardless of their differences,” said Austin. For more information about The Center’s Juneteenth programming and to register, visit this link. Note, The Center will be open on Juneteenth from 10 am-5 pm. For The Center’s up-to-date safety procedures and protocols, visit this link. ### About the National Center for Civil and Human Rights The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in downtown Atlanta is a cultural institution that connects the American Civil Rights Movement to the struggle for human rights around the world today. The Center features a continuously rotating exhibit from The Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, which includes many of Dr. King’s documents and personal items. Visitors will be immersed in experiential exhibits through powerful and authentic stories, historic documents, compelling artifacts, and interactive activities. The Center is a source for ongoing dialogue — hosting educational forums and attracting world-renowned speakers and artists who work on a variety of human rights topics. For more information, visit www.civilandhumanrights.org. Join the conversation on civil and human rights: facebook.com/ctr4chr/ | instagram.com/ctr4chr/ | twitter.com/Ctr4CHR About Deluxe Corporation Deluxe, a Trusted Payments and Business Technology™ company, helps businesses pay, get paid, optimize and grow. For more than 100 years, Deluxe has championed businesses so communities thrive at all stages of their lifecycle, from start-up to maturity. Our powerful solutions support millions of small businesses, thousands of financial institutions and hundreds of the world’s most valuable brands. The company operates at significant scale, processing more than $2.8 trillion in annual payment volume. To learn how we can help your business, visit us at www.deluxe.com, www.facebook.com/deluxecorp, www.linkedin.com/company/deluxe, or www.twitter.com/deluxe. Contact: Shani Drake, Director of Marketing and Public Engagement [email protected] Keyaira McCauley, Digital Media and Public Relations Manager [email protected] James Richards, Media Consultant [email protected]
Veterans and Military Service Members Receive Free Admission to National Center for Civil and Human Rights with Support from The Home Depot Foundation
Service member families also receive discounted admission during Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day weekend ATLANTA (May 13, 2021) – The National Center for Civil and Human Rights (The Center) and The Home Depot Foundation are providing free admission to The Center for veterans and current military service members on significant dates in May, National Military Appreciation Month. Thanks to the generosity of The Home Depot Foundation, military personnel can take advantage of free admission on Armed Forces Day (Saturday, May 15) and during Memorial Day weekend (Saturday, May 29 – Monday, May 31). Accompanying family members will also receive a 20% discount on admission. “The U.S. military upholds American ideals of freedom around the world,” said Jill Savitt, President & CEO of The Center. “Through our continued partnership with The Home Depot Foundation, we are honored to once again express our gratitude for service members’ bravery and sacrifice. At The Center, service members and veterans will be able to see the powerful stories of those democratic rights they serve courageously to advance.” Memorial Day celebrations began in 1868 to pay tribute to the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers. In 1949, the Department of Defense created Armed Forces Day to combine Army, Navy, and Airforce Days in a single observance. “The Home Depot Foundation works to improve the homes and lives of our nation’s veterans and their families,” expressed Shannon Gerber, Executive Director of The Home Depot Foundation. “This program and partnership with The Center helps us propel our mission, as well as honor veterans year-round. We’re hopeful the resources and experiences available at The Center will help educate and drive positive, sustainable change everywhere.” All active duty, reserve, and veteran military personnel with proper identification (copy of form DD214, veteran ID card, driver’s license with veteran designation, or military ID card issued by the Armed Forces) will receive free admission to The Center. Accompanying family members will receive a 20% discount on admission. Military personnel may bring up to three guests on Armed Forces Day (May 15), and five guests during Memorial Day weekend (May 29-31). Tickets must be reserved in-person at The Center’s ticket window. The Center has implemented a number of new health and safety protocols to ensure a safer environment for visitors and staff. The Home Depot Foundation and The Center will also provide free admission to veterans during Veteran’s Day weekend in November, with 20% off admission for up to five guests. The Foundation has also sponsored free admission for the general public on Human Rights Day in December 2021. This partnership will continue into 2022. ### About the National Center for Civil and Human Rights The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in downtown Atlanta is a cultural institution that connects the American Civil Rights Movement to the struggle for human rights around the world today. The Center features a continuously rotating exhibit from The Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, which includes many of Dr. King’s documents and personal items. Visitors will be immersed in experiential exhibits through powerful and authentic stories, historic documents, compelling artifacts, and interactive activities. The Center is a source for ongoing dialogue — hosting educational forums and attracting world-renowned speakers and artists who work on a variety of human rights topics. For more information, visit www.civilandhumanrights.org. Join the conversation on civil and human rights: facebook.com/ctr4chr/ | instagram.com/ctr4chr/ | twitter.com/Ctr4CHR About The Home Depot Foundation The Home Depot Foundation works to improve the homes and lives of U.S. veterans, train skilled tradespeople to fill the labor gap and support communities impacted by natural disasters. Since 2011, the Foundation has invested more than $375 million in veteran causes and improved more than 50,000 veteran homes and facilities. The Foundation has pledged to invest half of a billion dollars in veteran causes by 2025 and $50 million in training the next generation of skilled tradespeople through the Path to Pro program. To learn more about The Home Depot Foundation visit HomeDepotFoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @HomeDepotFound and on Facebook and Instagram @HomeDepotFoundation. Contact: Shani Drake, Director of Marketing and Public Engagement [email protected] Keyaira McCauley, Digital Media and Public Relations Manager [email protected] James Richards, Media Consultant [email protected]
National Center for Civil and Human Rights Debuts Rosenwald Schools Exhibition
Andrew Feiler’s nationally touring photography explores the expansion of public education for Black children during segregation ATLANTA, GA (May 10, 2021) The National Center for Civil and Human Rights (The Center) launches A Better Life for Their Children on May 22, 2021. The exhibition is based on Andrew Feiler’s book of photography. “A Better Life…” highlights the collaboration between businessman Julius Rosenwald, former president, Sears, Roebuck and Company, and Booker T. Washington, the prominent African–American leader of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Together they created schools across the country for Black children who had no access to publicly-funded education. The Center launches the national tour of this exhibition. The Center will host “A Better Life…” in its mezzanine. Visitors will access information about the images via QR code to comply with social distancing guidelines. Updated Center safety protocols can be found at this link. Feiler’s project is the first comprehensive photographic account of the Rosenwald Schools program. From 1912 to 1932, the Rosenwald Schools program built 4,977 schools for African–American children in 15 southern and border states. A final school was added in 1937. Hundreds of thousands of students received an education because of Rosenwald Schools, which played a critical role in the US civil rights movement. Sample images and more information can be found here. Many civil rights icons and foot soldiers of the movement were educated in these schools. Medgar Evers, Mississippi field secretary for the NAACP attended. Poet and writer Maya Angelou became the northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. She later wrote about her days in an Arkansas Rosenwald School in her memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. The late Congressman John Lewis wrote of his first day at an Alabama Rosenwald School, and more broadly of his belief in the power of education, in his introduction to Feiler’s book. Feiler, a celebrated photographer, and fifth-generation Georgian drove more than 25,000 miles to photograph 105 schools in 15 states. The work includes interiors and exteriors, schools restored and yet-to-be restored, and portraits of people with compelling connections to the schools. Feiler powerfully conveys the pride, dreams, and commitment of an entire community, old and young to create a lasting educational legacy. “Education is the backbone of the American Dream and the essential onramp to the American middle class,” said Feiler. “Rosenwald schools brought educational opportunity to African Americans across the segregated South and in the process transformed this country.” The exhibition will travel nationally, including to the National Civil Rights Museum, Tennessee State Museum, Charlotte Museum of History, Virginia Museum of History and Culture, and the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience. “We are honored to launch this exhibition. It tells a powerful story of how segregation deprived America of Black talent and how Rosenwald and Washington combined forces to address that injustice,” said Jill Savitt, CEO & President of The Center. The Center will host a media preview of the collection on Thursday, May 20 at 10 a.m., with a curatorial tour provided by Andrew Feiler and Dr. Calinda Lee, The Center’s Head of Programs & Exhibitions. The Center will launch the exhibition with a virtual program on Friday, May 21. The program will focus on historic and current educational equity issues. To register for this program, click here or email James Richards at [email protected]. ### About Andrew Feiler Andrew Feiler is a fifth-generation Georgian. Having grown up Jewish in Savannah, he has been shaped by the rich complexities of the American South. Andrew has long been active in civic life. He has helped create over a dozen community initiatives, serves on multiple not-for-profit boards, and is an active advisor to numerous elected officials and political candidates. His art is an extension of his civic values. Andrew’s photographs have been featured in such publications as Smithsonian, Wall Street Journal, Architect, Preservation, Slate, Lenscratch, Oxford American, and The Bitter Southerner. His work has been displayed in galleries and museums including solo exhibitions at such venues as the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Octagon Museum in Washington, D.C., International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro, NC, and Burrison Gallery of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. His work is in a number of public and private collections including that of Atlanta University Center and Emory University. More of his work can be seen at andrewfeiler.com. About the National Center for Civil and Human Rights The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in downtown Atlanta is a cultural institution that connects the American Civil Rights Movement to the struggle for human rights around the world today. The Center features a continuously rotating exhibit from The Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, which includes many of Dr. King’s documents and personal items. Visitors are immersed in experiential exhibits through powerful and authentic stories, historic documents, compelling artifacts, and interactive activities. The Center is a source for ongoing dialogue — hosting educational forums and attracting world-renowned speakers and artists who work on a variety of human rights topics. For more information, visit www.civilandhumanrights.org. Join the conversation on civil and human rights: facebook.com/ctr4chr/ | instagram.com/ctr4chr/ | twitter.com/Ctr4CHR Contact: Shani Drake, Director of Marketing and Public Engagement [email protected] Keyaira McCauley, Digital Media and Public Relations Manager [email protected] James Richards, Media Consultant [email protected]
The Center’s Statement on the Verdict of the Derek Chauvin Trial
Today, Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all charges for the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights shares the relief of many Americans that justice, in this case, was served. This verdict does not bring George Floyd back. Our thoughts are with his family and friends as they continue to mourn their loss, and hope they find solace with today’s historically significant moment of accountability. While today’s verdict provides hope that accountability is possible, the long list of murders of young men of color proves that reform is needed. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights continues to demand just and equitable law enforcement practices that respect human rights.
The Center’s Statement on Recent Police Violence
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights expresses solidarity with peaceful demonstrators in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, and advocates across the nation expressing their grief, anger and frustration at more Black lives lost at the hands of police. Demonstrators have a right to be heard, to assemble, and to express their anguish at the ongoing trauma of police killing unarmed Black and Latinx people with impunity. Pressure to transform law enforcement to ensure civil rights protection for all must ring out from the streets to the boardroom, and in all corners of American life. This week we have seen more deaths of young men of color at the hands of police: Daunte Wright, aged 20, in Brooklyn Center and Matthew Williams, aged 35, in DeKalb County, Georgia. Video footage of the March 29 killing of Adam Toledo, aged 13, in Chicago was released this week. In another incident, recent video footage showed police pepper spraying Army 2nd Lt. Caron Nazario, age 42, from Virginia, during a traffic stop last December. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights redoubles our call for just and equitable law enforcement practices that respect human rights.
Human Rights Groups Launch Course to Train Police on Protecting Rights and Serving Communities in a Deeply Divided Society
Atlanta Police Department is first in nation to train its entire force — and participate in a year-long program of police and community members meeting for dinner The National Center for Civil and Human Rights (The Center) and Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities (AIPG) have developed an online training program for U.S. law enforcement to deepen understanding of civil and human rights in policing. The entire Atlanta Police Department (APD) will be trained by March 2022, underwritten by the Atlanta Police Foundation (APF). APD is the first department in the nation to train its entire force with this human rights course. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms made the training mandatory for all APD, part of the City’s comprehensive police reform plan known as One Atlanta, One APD. This new human rights training is a virtual version of the highly-regarded National Law Enforcement Seminar the partner organizations offered in person from 2017 to 2019. Due to the pandemic and due to increased demand for a response to racial injustices in the summer of 2020, the partners created an expanded online version of the training with investments from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation and Gallagher. The pilot phase of the course included officers and leaders from departments around the country, among them Baltimore, Houston, Los Angeles, Portland, Phoenix, Seattle, and Miami and campus police departments from Georgia Tech, Emory University, SUNY Binghamton, and Ohio State University. The training has two versions, one for officers (two-weeks), and one for leaders (six-weeks). Each course explores topics with animations, short videos, readings and discussion boards. Both courses are offered asynchronously and require four hours of study and discussion each week. An instructor facilitates discussions and provides feedback. Both courses: Emphasize how the promotion and protection of civil and human rights by law enforcement helps prevent human rights abuse. Teach the history of policing in the United States, featuring this animation. Present systemic features of racism embedded in policing structures. Explain how implicit bias operates and how it impacts individual decision-making. Address challenges facing police serving multi-cultural communities in a deeply divided society. Foster best practices for implementing community policing and creating resiliency in targeted communities. “In addition to protecting and serving, police have the responsibility of protecting the civil and human rights of all members of the community,” said Jill Savitt, President & CEO of The Center. “The course focuses on rights, values and building trust. It is designed so its lessons can be immediately applied to police culture and practices.” “We are proud that APD will be the first department to train all officers, from those in their first year of service to the full Command Staff,” said Dave Wilkinson, President & CEO of the Atlanta Police Foundation. “Building trust between citizens and law enforcement personnel is foundational to building bridges between officers and those the citizens they are sworn to protect.” “In order to respond to the crisis of policing in America today, police must look outward into the community as well as inward,” said Dr. Cedric Alexander, a member of President Barack Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing and former director of public safety for DeKalb County, GA. Alexander, who provides an introduction to the course and expertise on the Task Force within the training, added, “Police need to be self-reviewing, learning lessons every day with each interaction.” Civic Dinners In addition to human rights training, The Center is hosting, with APF and Civic Dinners, a year-long series of Civic Dinners — intimate, facilitated conversations between law enforcement and community members. Each dinner will host 20 police officers and 20 community members for a meal. Sitting at tables of six, plus a facilitator, police, and community will explore ways to improve their relationship and build trust. Conversations will continue once a month through May 2022. “We are proud to partner with The Center and provide support to critical initiatives such as the Civic Dinners,” said Christopher Mead, Chief Marketing Officer at Gallagher. “Gallagher’s company purpose is based on helping people, communities and businesses face their future with confidence, and through this partnership, we can continue to put our values into action to help ensure dignity for all.” The first dinner is April 7, 2021. The first several dinners will happen on Zoom and will be held in person at The Center once it is safe to gather. Gallagher is a founding sponsor of this series of conversations. ### About the Auschwitz Institute The Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities (AIPG) is an international non-governmental organization that works to support governments through education, training, and technical assistance to develop or strengthen policies and practices for the prevention of genocide and other mass atrocities. Effective genocide prevention requires a multi-dimensional approach to education that is built on the promotion and protection of civil and human rights. As a result, the Auschwitz Institute’s programs are carefully designed by experts in the field to provide comprehensive training for policymakers and the security sector to forge networks of cooperation across the globe. About the National Center for Civil and Human Rights The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in downtown Atlanta is a cultural institution that connects the American Civil Rights Movement to the struggle for human rights around the world today. The Center features a continuously rotating exhibit from The Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, which includes many of Dr. King’s documents and personal items. Visitors will be immersed in experiential exhibits through powerful and authentic stories, historic documents, compelling artifacts, and interactive activities. The Center is a source for ongoing dialogue — hosting educational forums and attracting world-renowned speakers and artists who work on a variety of human rights topics. For more information, visit www.civilandhumanrights.org. Join the conversation on civil and human rights: facebook.com/ctr4chr/ | instagram.com/ctr4chr/ | twitter.com/Ctr4CHR Contact: Shani Drake, Director of Marketing and Public Engagement [email protected] Keyaira McCauley, Digital Media and Public Relations Manager [email protected] James Richards, Media consultant [email protected]
The Center’s Statement on Voting
March 26, 2021 Almost 56 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Congressman John Lewis led tireless and courageous activists on the historic Selma to Montgomery March for Voting Rights. During that march, peaceful protesters were attacked by state troopers in what became known as “Bloody Sunday.” The brutal beatings of protestors seeking basic civil rights galvanized Americans to support voting reform and urged Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The voting law, passed in August 1965, ushered in a new era of civil rights: all citizens were able to participate in self governance and express their will by voting. Any law that curtails the sacred right of all voters to participate in democracy, without obstacles, undermines our nation’s founding ideals. Because of America’s history of denying the right to vote to African Americans, US officials at all levels of government need to take special care to ensure people of color do not face obstacles to voting — from simplifying voter registration and making polls accessible to preventing intimidation and harassment. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights will continue to promote free and fair voting access for all, and call for measures that ease, rather than restrict, access to the franchise.
NCCHR statement on recent violence against the AAPI Community
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is deeply saddened by the tragic murder of Asian Americans in our city of Atlanta on Tuesday, March 16. We stand in solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and condemn violence committed against groups because of their identity. The rise in violent attacks against the AAPI community is rooted in bigotry and xenophobia and has been fanned by lies and irresponsible rhetoric. We want to amplify the work of organizations like Stop AAPI Hate, that fight anti-Asian hate and racism and uplift Asian communities across the country. We join the calls to #StopAsianHate.
National Center for Civil and Human Rights Hosts Free Admission Days in March Sponsored by FedEx
Free admission available March 4-7, 11-14 ATLANTA, GA (March 3, 2021) – The National Center for Civil and Human Rights (The Center) will host free admission days March 4-7 and 11-14 in its fourth annual partnership sponsored by FedEx. The multi-day initiative aligns with The Center’s health and safety guidelines amid COVID-19. Guests can explore The Center’s “Rolls Down Like Water” gallery, which presents the fight for civil rights in America in the 1950s and 1960s. This gallery was curated by Tony Award–winning playwright and film director George C. Wolfe, who most recently directed “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” on Netflix. The “Spark of Conviction” introduces visitors to the global human rights movement and features courageous advocates and activists. The Center’s first floor houses the “Voice to the Voiceless” gallery, where visitors can view the Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection—the personal papers and items of Dr. King. “Against the backdrop of the movement for racial justice and the conversations about how we move forward with equity, making the Center available to everyone is more important than ever,” said Jill Savitt the President and CEO of The Center. “Our partnership with FedEx ensures that our visitors will be inspired – and learn how to tap their own power to change the world –- by being able to visit The Center for free.” The Center temporarily closed its doors in March 2020 due to safety concerns brought on by the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the Atlanta area. Prior to reopening last September, The Center implemented a number of new health and safety protocols to help ensure the safety of its staff and visitors. Tickets must be reserved online in advance at this link. Time slots are available on a first come, first served basis with a limit of four tickets per order. Guests are required to wear a mask for the duration of their visit. ### About FedEx Corp. FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenue of $75 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively, operating collaboratively and innovating digitally under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its nearly 600,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit about.fedex.com. About the National Center for Civil and Human Rights The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in downtown Atlanta is a cultural institution that connects the American Civil Rights Movement to the struggle for human rights around the world today. The Center features a continuously rotating exhibit from The Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, which includes many of Dr. King’s documents and personal items. Visitors will be immersed in experiential exhibits through powerful and authentic stories, historic documents, compelling artifacts, and interactive activities. The Center is a source for ongoing dialogue — hosting educational forums and attracting world-renowned speakers and artists who work on a variety of human rights topics. For more information, visit www.civilandhumanrights.org. Join the conversation on civil and human rights: facebook.com/ctr4chr/ | instagram.com/ctr4chr/ | twitter.com/Ctr4CHR Contact: Shani Drake, Director of Marketing and Public Engagement [email protected] Keyaira McCauley, Digital Media and Public Relations Manager [email protected] James Richards, Media Consultant [email protected]
The Center Mourns the Loss of Vernon Jordan
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights mourns the passing of our founding board chair and fearless leader, Vernon Jordan. A son of Atlanta, Jordan was a leader in the civil rights movement in his roles as a law clerk to Donald Hallowell’s civil rights practice here and his leadership of the National Urban League in Washington, D.C. With brilliance and grit, Jordan worked to dissolve historic barriers for Black Americans aspiring to leadership in corporate America. He was a counselor to U.S. presidents and a mentor to hundreds of Black leaders in business, law, and politics. Throughout his life, he gave back to Atlanta, including offering considerable influence and credibility in establishing The Center as a place to study the impact of the civil rights movement, and nurture generations of rights advocates. Jordan was honored at The Center’s inaugural Power to Inspire Awards Gala. His impact and legacy will be felt by many generations to come.