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
LGBTQ Institute Names New Executive Director
Tim’m T. West aims to deepen the institute’s work in the U.S. South and expand national partnerships ATLANTA, Ga. (December 15, 2022) — The LGBTQ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (The Center) has named Tim’m T. West (he/they) as its new executive director beginning January 2023. West succeeds Ryan Roemerman who successfully guided the institute as its founding executive director since 2015. “Tim’m is building upon a solid foundation, and his thought leadership and experience will amplify and broaden our impact. This work is critical,” said Jill Savitt, president and CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. West, an educator, youth advocate, poet, hip-hop artist, and author of several books is a Cincinnati native raised primarily in rural Arkansas. A deeply committed academic activist, West has led Teach for America’s National Prism Alliances since 2014, which advances safer and braver classrooms for LGBTQ+ educators and students preK-12th grade. West mobilized and grew TFA’s Prism coalitions from two in 2016 to nearly 30 in 2022, shifting the educational equity landscape to be more responsible and accountable to LGBTQ+ students and educators. “Tim’m built long-standing and trusted relationships with national partners that I know will positively impact the LGBTQ Institute’s mission,” said Sarah Ha, vice president of Teach For America’s National Community Alliances. Since its founding, the institute has focused on the American South, connecting advocates and academics to advance LGBTQ equity through research and education. By fostering intersectional leadership, research, and education initiatives, the institute helps partners create a public imperative for policies that treat LGBTQ people equally and fairly. “With the hiring of Tim’m, The Center is reaffirming its commitment to LGBTQ communities across the South and the country at a time of deep concern for our civil and human rights,” noted Roemerman. “As a long-time grassroots advocate and community mobilizer representing a myriad of social justice issues across our nation, Tim’m is uniquely positioned to lead the LGBTQ Institute’s strategic vision. His voice and action will allow us to meet the moment.” Recently, West was a visiting lecturer in Critical Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Cal Poly Humboldt. Prior to TFA, he served on the inaugural faculty at Oakland School for the Arts; taught English and coached basketball at Cesar Chavez Public High School for Public Policy; and was Director of Youth Services at Chicago’s Center on Halsted. West earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University, and Master of Arts degrees from The New School for Social Research and Stanford University. “The South is under attack most often when it comes to anti-LGBTQ legislation, even though more LGBTQ people live in the South than anywhere else in the country. Building on the powerful mobilizing that Ryan did over the first seven years, The Center allows us to shine a light, serve as a convener, amplify grassroots campaigns, and be a home for advocates,” said West. “My familial roots include Appalachia and rural Arkansas. I’m excited to ensure LGBTQ rights are preserved in our most vulnerable communities, focusing in the South, but expanding that work to engage partnerships with advocates wherever equity and justice for LGBTQ people is threatened.” ### The LGBTQ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights connects academics and advocates to advance LGBTQ equity through research and education focused on the American South. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a museum and human rights educational institution located in Atlanta, GA, the cradle of civil rights. Founded in 2014, 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 tap our own power 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 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. Media Advisory Contact: James Richards, 404-844-4692 x.119 [email protected]
2022 Power To Inspire & Groundbreaking Recap, Giving Tuesday Preview
By James Richards, Communications Director, National Center for Civil and Human Rights To cap the Center’s eighth year, we’re launching our first Text-to-Give campaign called Truth Moves. Truth Moves kicks off on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29 and runs through Human Rights Day, Dec. 10. We hope to engage new donors in The Center’s mission and celebrate the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)! We have a lot to be thankful for. Looking back, October was a big month in the eight years of The Center thanks to the amazing work of so many staff and partners. We hosted our first in person Power to Inspire gala since 2019 and it was wonderful to celebrate together with our board members and friends of The Center. We honored Donna Stephens and Nujeen Mustafa, two individuals who have taken on tough issues to make progress for so many in Atlanta and around the world. We also acknowledged three black-owned financial institutions for their work on economic opportunity in the fight for racial equality: Carver State Bank, Unity National Bank, and Paul Viera with Harmony Analytics. We capped off PTI by officially launching our Building the Vision campaign to expand our building and programs that will enable us to grow from a local Atlanta attraction to a national cultural institution that serves as a dynamic education, training, conference, and performance hub dedicated to advancing human dignity, rights, and justice. In 2024 we will add two wings with more than 10,000 new square feet of classroom, exhibit, and event space, a Family Gallery on the lobby level, a gallery memorializing racial violence, and a cafe. We will enhance our Civil and Human Rights permanent exhibits, as well as our Voice to the Voiceless gallery that displays selections from the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection. Check out this video for more information on how you can support our Building the Vision campaign . The next morning, we hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking. Our groundbreaking featured remarks from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (a lifetime member and avid Center supporter), Congresswomen Lucy McBath and Nikema Williams, as well as Center Board representatives vice-chair A.J. Robinson and Andrea Young. These two events have ignited new energy, both within our walls and throughout the community. Many people are so invigorated by the accomplishments of The Center in our first eight years of existence, and can’t wait to see what we will accomplish in the years to come. Thank you to our supporters, donors, attendees, and staff for your profound commitment to helping The Center fulfill our mission.
CEO statement – Addressing the scourge of antisemitism
Antisemitism is on the rise in America amid a highly polarized political climate that has incited acts of violence against Jews, including by a range of high-profile figures. Nearly four years after the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, the Anti-Defamation League reports a 60 percent increase in known incidents of harassment, vandalism, and assault of Jewish institutions and schools from 2020 – 2021. The Center condemns antisemitism in all its forms. Freedom from discrimination and freedom of religion and thought are basic human rights. We call on leaders in all sectors of society to enforce hate crimes laws and promote a culture in which people of all faiths, races, and backgrounds are safe, secure, and welcome.
NCCHR Groundbreaking: Center breaks ground on multi-wing expansion, announces team leading design and construction
International and Atlanta-based coalition features two women owned firms; Center capital campaign more than halfway to $50 million goal ATLANTA, Ga. (October 20, 2022) – A coalition of well-known Atlanta and internationally-based firms, two of them owned by women, will design and build a two-wing expansion of The National Center for Civil and Human Rights (The Center). The Center announced the team at a groundbreaking ceremony Friday to an audience of civic, philanthropic, corporate, and community leaders. Speakers included Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens; Congresswoman Nikema Williams; Congresswoman Lucy McBath; A.J. Robinson, Center Board Vice Chair, President of Central Atlanta Progress; Andrea Young, Center Board Member, Executive Director ACLU of Georgia; and Jill Savitt, Center President and CEO. The Center’s Building the Vision campaign has raised more than $27 million towards its $50 million capital campaign goal to enhance its downtown Atlanta building and its civil and human rights education programs. Designers plan two new wings totaling an additional 20,000 square feet of space for public engagement, conversation, exhibitions, and education. Construction is slated to begin in January 2023 and completed in June 2024 for The Center’s 10th anniversary. “The expansion will be an outgrowth of the Center’s iconic form; framing and reinforcing a unique visitor experience, encouraging them to visit, stay, and return. Its magnetic presence will visually and intellectually attract the curious while beckoning to national and international audiences far beyond its walls,” said Kenneth Luker, FAIA, design principal, Perkins & Will. The Center will also broaden its program offerings to engage students, visitors, schools, and workplaces with critical perspectives and tools to understand their roles as change-makers. These include DEI experiences for workplaces, human rights training for law enforcement, and a national civil rights history education program. “Our project is the culmination of years of planning that began shortly after we opened in 2014,” said Jill Savitt, Center president and CEO. “This development of facilities and programming will fulfill our founders’ vision of establishing The Center as a national cultural institution and dynamic education, training, conference, and performance hub dedicated to advancing human dignity, rights, and justice.” The Center’s expansion plans include: A three-story west wing to house a café and four new exhibitions spaces including: A Family Gallery on the lobby level — a play space for families with children under 12 focused on justice and rights with immersive, hands-on experiences. A Ritual and Remembrance gallery memorializing racial terror, focusing on the violent repression of African American civil and human rights featuring artifacts from the Without Sanctuary collection. Flexible gallery space for traveling and rotating exhibitions. A one-story east wing Innovation Lab — a multifunctional space for classrooms, performances, conferences, and events with broadcast capability to stream events and performances. The roof of the east wing will create a new outdoor event space. Current space and exhibitions will also be reimagined – the Center’s Civil Rights, Human Rights, and the gallery that displays selected artifacts from the Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection. “Along with DaVinci Development founder and managing principal, John Goff, I was honored to partner with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights on the development of the original landmark facility,” said David Scott, senior principal, DaVinci Development Collaborative. “Today, the DaVinci team is privileged again to collaborate with the Center as development managers to oversee its important expansion and enhancements. DaVinci focuses on mission-driven projects, and we are proud to support the Center as it realizes its goals of promoting and protecting rights and becoming an even greater hub for education, conversations, and engagement promoting human dignity.” The Center Expansion Team DaVinci Development Collaborative LLC, the Atlanta-based boutique firm serves as overall project developer manager. It helped develop The Center’s original landmark facility. Atelier Brueckner – a world-leading design firm based in Stuttgart, Germany will oversee exhibition design. Notable projects include the Museum of the Future in Dubai, the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and Visitor Centre of the European Parliament in Brussels. Lord Cultural Resources – the woman-owned Toronto-based firm will oversee exhibit content and narrative design. Its U.S. president Joy Bailey-Bryant is an Atlanta native. Juneau Construction Company – based in Atlanta, the woman-owned company will direct building construction. Perkins & Will – the architect of the original Center building, the prestigious national firm is again overseeing building and campus design. 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, mission-based Institutes, 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 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]
Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month: Acknowledging Significant Figures in Cultural Progress
Each year, September 15 – October 15 is marked as Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month. This is a time to appreciate and celebrate Hispanic and Latine communities’ cultures, histories, and diversity. Several activists are credited with these communities’ progress, and The Center is excited to acknowledge some of the current and historical figures that led movements to make change and progress. Estela De Carlotto Estela De Carlotto was a teacher, grandmother, and Argentinian human rights activist. In 1976 military and political unrest plagued her home, and her pregnant daughter was abducted by the military and others known as the “disappeared” and never heard from again. In 1978 Carlotto joined grandmothers in similar situations in an organization called Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo. Shortly after, Carlotto was informed that her daughter was killed. The Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo began investigating to find their grandchildren. The group became a leading human rights organization in Argentina. In 2014, Carlotto met her 36-year-old grandson for the first time. Learn more about Estela De Carlotto in the Human Rights Champion wall at The Center. Ramon Contreras Ramon Contreras is a 19-year-old political and gun control activist and filmmaker championing civic engagement by encouraging minorities to exercise their civic rights. He also founded Youth Over Guns, an organization advocating gun control in underserved and minority communities. Ramon is also the National Strategies for March for Our Lives, a student-led organization advocating for gun control through demonstration. Dolores Huerta Dolores Huerta is an American-born labor leader and civil rights activist who has dedicated her life to advocating for immigrants, women’s, and workers’ rights. She is best known for working with Cesar Chavez as the Agricultural Workers Organizing Community co-founder and organizing the Delano grape strike and the contract resolution. Her activism started in the 1950s when she began organizing farm workers to help hungry farm children. She then co-founded the Stockton chapter of the Community Service Organization, which led voter registration drives and fought for economic improvements for Hispanics. After that, she founded the Agricultural Worker’s Association and began working with activist Cesar Chavez to organize farm workers in 1962. Although she faced challenges for her ethnicity and gender, Huerta played a crucial role in organizing the 1965 Delano grape strike. She negotiated contracts for safer working conditions, unemployment, and healthcare benefits until the union contract was signed in 1970. Most recently, Dolores focused her activism on electing more Latinos and women into political office. Carlos Russell Carlos Russell is a Panamanian-born poet, professor, and activist. He dedicated most of his life to working with community leaders to organize protests and movements against racism and is known for championing NYC’s Black Solidarity Day. Russell has also served as Panama’s ambassador to the UN and has received the highest honor for Panamanian citizens in the Vasco Nunez de Balboa Award.
Civic Engagement: Voting in Midterm Elections
By: Hillary Olsen It’s time to prepare for the 2022 midterms and let your voice be heard! The midterm elections are one of the most talked about elections in the US and with good reason. This election cycle takes place two years after the presidential election and includes elections for all members of the US House of Representatives, some members of the US Senate, and several state positions. Turnout tends to be smaller for midterm elections than for the presidential election, but the positions voted on during midterms crucially impact the lives of all Americans. In Georgia, we will be voting for our Governor, Secretary of State, US House, and several other key offices. One of the easiest ways to engage in civic participation is to exercise your right to vote. Election season can be somewhat overwhelming, so here are some quick pieces of information that we hope will help make it easier for you to make a plan to vote this November in the 2022 midterm elections in Georgia. For more information or questions, visit the Georgia Secretary of State website click here. Contact: (404) 656-2871 Click here to send an email. www.ballotpedia.org www.mvp.sos.ga.gov www.securemyabsenteeballot.sos.ga.gov www.sos.ga.gov/county-elections-offices www.wabe.org/map-drop-box-locations-2022-election www.mvp.sos.ga.gov www.sos.ga.gov/voter-resources www.georgiavoter.guide www.ballotpedia.org
Disability Pride and Advocating for Access
By: Lissie Cox During July, Disability Pride month, we celebrate the efforts of thousands who organized for decades to create the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is also a moment to recognize the foundation laid by the civil rights movement to empower disabled advocates. Not only was the ADA modeled on Civil Rights Act of 1964, but the spirit of the civil rights movement inspired disabled advocate protests such as the Capital Crawl of 1990. More than 1,000 people with physical disabilities discarded their assistive devices to crawl up the steps of the U.S. Capitol and urge lawmakers to pass the ADA. When the act became law on July 26, 1990, it was a watershed moment for people with disabilities. However, since the ADA and its expansion amendments in 2008, awareness, support, and understanding for people with disabilities has halted. Discrimination persists, preventing those with disabilities to live fully and thrive. According to the CDC, about 61 million adults in the U.S. live with a disability, with the highest percentage concentrated in the South. Amongst the American disabled community: 1 in 3 do not have access to adequate healthcare because of the cost (CDC) 9% of disabled Americans are unemployed as of 2021 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) People with disabilities are four times more likely to be violently attacked than non-disabled people. (Bureau of Justice Statistics) In addition to the inherent challenges of living with a disability, disabled people struggle with living in an ableist society. The easiest definition of ableism is the assumption that a disabled person needs to be fixed or that they are limited by the confines of their disability. Just as racism leads to assumptions about a particular group of people, ableism can also lead to stereotypes, and generalizations about disabled people. It can take years for some people to have pride in living with their disability, while others may never reach that point. My story of being proud of myself and my disability is like so many across the world. I grew up with chronic pain. No one in my family or community believed me. I lived with 15 years of daily pain before they finally heard me. I endured five more years of pain, a misdiagnosis and blindness before I was correctly diagnosed. As someone who grew up chronically ill without support, I was told time and time again that if I just tried harder, I could be “normal”. That I didn’t have to be disabled. My community lacked the resources and advocates to tell me that what I was experiencing wasn’t normal. When my disability was finally diagnosed, I initially felt shame, guilt, and grief. I bought into the ableist idea that an invisible disability – a disability that is not physically noticeable – was something to overcome, push through, and hide. I understand now how that stereotype held me back and likely contributed to my illnesses progressing. Pride was the furthest thing from my mind. After years of struggle, and despite society continuing to see me as lesser, I overcome my shame and embraced my disability. I became a fierce self-advocate demanding a truly accessible world to realize the vision of the ADA. I felt called to educate communities, law makers, healthcare workers, and teachers that people with disabilities deserve a quality life of access, informed by fundamental human rights. This advocacy work has profoundly impacted my wellbeing. I have been asked why I fight for disability rights, and why I feel proud to be disabled. The reason is this: A society that would rather try to keep us from being disabled, than to understand and accommodate our disabilities, creates hatred and shame alienating the disabled community. We must prioritize education to overcome pervasive ableism. To be proud of being disabled is to know we deserve more. It is to know that we are not failures, or mistakes. It is to know that we have to fight for our rights and know we deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. In a world that still revolves around non-disabled people, those of us with disabilities are expected to conform. We have to fight to be heard, to have the access we require to live. Without pride in who we are, we cannot progress. If you or someone you know is struggling with their disability, click here to access resources from the National Council on Disability. For disability ally resources, click here to access resources from the CDC. Lissie Cox is a blind and chronically ill creative from North Carolina. She is a blogger and social media creator. You find her Instagram at @looksbylissie.
IHG HOTELS & RESORTS SPONSORS FREE ADMISSION TO THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS JUNE 25, 2022 IN HONOR OF PRIDE MONTH
WHAT: In partnership with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, IHG Hotels & Resorts is providing free admission to The Center on June 25, 2022, in honor of Pride Month. The general public will have access to its powerful exhibits: A Legacy of Creative Protest – a new exhibit of the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection, Rolls Down Like Water and Spark of Conviction. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and must be reserved online here. WHY: For more than 30 years, IHG’s Americas headquarters has been based in Atlanta, a city with a profound legacy of civil rights. To promote equality for all and building on its diversity and inclusion initiatives, IHG’s broader partnership with The Center will help support the costs associated with making it accessible for the community. IHG has supported free admission days at The Center since 2020 and looks forward to continuing this partnership. WHO: General public, including IHG colleagues and families WHEN: Saturday, June 25, 2022 (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET) WHERE: National Center for Civil and Human Rights, 100 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30313 QUOTES: “The history we present connects with today’s LGBTQ+ movements for equity and justice and allows people to understand how they can tap their own power to change the world,” said Jill Savitt, President and CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. “We are very grateful for IHG’s support as we commemorate and honor the vital role LGBTQ+ leaders and activists have played as civil and human rights defenders throughout history.” “IHG Hotels & Resorts is an ally to the LGBTQ+ community and we’re proud to sponsor free admission to the Center in honor of Pride month,” said IHG’s Brian Hicks, Americas SVP of Commercial and Revenue Management and sponsor of the company’s Out & Open employee resource group. “As a company, we are deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and we hope a visit to the Center inspires all attendees to learn about human rights and advocate for LGBTQ+ equality.” COVID INFO: The Center continues to observe health and safety procedures to ensure visitors and staff remain safe amidst COVID-19. Currently, face coverings and masks are optional for visitors. Media Contacts: James Richards, Communications Consultant, The Center: [email protected] Katie Shuford, Communications Manager, IHG Hotels & Resorts: [email protected] 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, mission-based Institutes, 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 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. About IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good. With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG One Rewards, one of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in over 100 countries, and more than 1,800 in the development pipeline. Luxury & Lifestyle: Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo Premium: voco hotels, HUALUXE Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, EVEN Hotels Essentials: Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, avid hotels Suites: Atwell Suites, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Candlewood Suites InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 325,000 people work across IHG’s hotels and corporate offices globally. Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG One Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. ###
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights Launches New King Exhibition and Celebrates Juneteenth
A Legacy of Creative Protest: King & Youth Activism is the first new King exhibit in more than two years. (ATLANTA, GA) June 6, 2022—The National Center for Civil and Human Rights (The Center) will celebrate Juneteenth 2022 with a weekend of programming for the entire family Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19. The Center will also launch its first new exhibit of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Voice to the Voiceless Gallery in over two years featuring A Legacy of Creative Protest: King & Youth Activism on Saturday, June 18. The exhibit explores how a generation of youth activists in the 1960s inspired Dr. King’s campaign for equality and helped transform political landscapes from the Civil Rights era to present-day through innovative means of protest. Through their innovation, young organizers galvanized the movement, emboldening Dr. King to adopt new and creative ways of protesting to reach a growing national audience. Lance Wheeler, Director of Exhibitions at The Center expressed what he hoped Center guests will take away from this exhibit. “Dr. King and his nonviolent resistance became central to the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Yet, he was energized by the resistance of young people across the country, and specifically in Greensboro and of SNCC, to continue the march towards justice. As much as he inspired these young people, he too was stirred by their work and commitment to justice.” The Center will also celebrate the Juneteenth holiday with a host of family programs Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19. All activities are included in the price of general admission. Guests are encouraged to purchase their tickets online, in advance. A list of programming is below and on The Center’s website at civilandhumanrights.org/juneteenth/: Music curated by DJ Sed the Saint to pay homage to the day of Jubilee Immersive theatre performance of Got So Far to Go—a piece that outlines the successes of emancipation and the Civil Rights movement Craft tables and activations for young learners, and much more! “Juneteenth is a portmanteau of the words “June” and “nineteenth” which marks the date, June 19, 1865—that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned they were free—just under two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln,” said Nicole Moore, Director of Education for The Center. “The Center celebrates this moment of liberation by sharing more about the history of Juneteenth to show it is such an incredibly important holiday, and to spread the jubilee of occasion.” For more information about A Legacy of Creative Protest: King & Youth Activism, visit The Center’s website here: civilandhumanrights.org/exhibition/mlk-collection/. To learn more about The Center’s Juneteenth celebration, visit this link civilandhumanrights.org/juneteenth/. — 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, mission-based Institutes, 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 more information about The Center, visit our website at civilandhumanrights.org. You can follow us on social here: Facebook @ctr4chr; Twitter @ctr4chr; Instagram @ctr4chr; and LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncchr. For press & media inquiries, contact: Shani Drake, Director of Marketing & Public Engagement, at [email protected] James Richards, Communications Specialist, at [email protected]