Memphis, TN, Dec. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the national holiday, January 17, the National Civil Rights Museum will remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a special celebration via live stream at 12:00 noon and 6:00pm Central. The public is also invited to the museum for the King Day celebration for special extended hours, from 8:00am - 6:00pm. King Day admission will be free for all guests, thanks to the support of FedEx. Free tickets are available online starting January 3, 2022 at kingday.org.
The online celebration will feature musical performances by Musical Director Garry Goin, cover musicians Southern Avenue, and more. The virtual event airs on the museum’s website at 12:00pm Central.
With a "Double-V" approach to overcoming voter apathy and vaccine hesitancy, the museum will collaborate with organizations to offer voter education, empowerment, and registration as well as Covid vaccines and testing on-site. (confirm vaccines and testing) There will be outdoor entertainment and activities for children.
Redistricting and state voting laws are changing, so 2022 is an important election year to inform voters about their rights and issues to watch for in federal, state, and local elections. Given the hard-fought battles to win the right to vote, the museum will inform guests about fair voting rights nationwide and legislation like the John Lewis Fair Voting Act and the For the People Bills currently in Congress. On King Day, the museum will collaborate with organizations to offer voter education, registration, and activation to help ensure every person understands their voting rights and receives voting updates. It is important that every vote is counted and fairly represented.
The museum also joins the fight to dispel misinformation around historical atrocities and racial discrimination like the Tuskegee Experiment that led to the mistrust around vaccination. In the “Communities for Immunity” initiative, the museum highlights issues and stereotypes that contribute to healthcare disparity, lack of access, and mistreatment of patients of color. The museum is sharing important messages on the seriousness of COVID, getting vaccinated, tested, and wearing masks to save lives.
KING DAY HIGHLIGHTS:
- Visitors can tour the museum from 8am–6pm. The changing exhibition, Outside the Lorraine, is on display until April 4.
- Reservations to visit the museum on King Day, January 17, are open on January 3. The museum has limited capacity, requires masks inside the museum, to remain vigilant regarding COVID guidelines.
- The virtual broadcast airs at 12:00pm Central. Registration opens on January 3 and is highly encouraged.
- The museum is resuming its annual blood drive with Vitalant to help with the critical blood shortage. Anyone donating blood will receive additional free admission for up to four people on any day in 2022. Blood donations in go toward free admission for Shelby County School students.
- For its food drive benefitting the Mid-South Food Bank, the museum is requesting guests bring canned good donations to help feed the growing number of hungry families in the Mid-South.
- A full day of activities onsite includes Main Stage performances, a community & family activity tent, resources about the vaccines and voting, and more.
Other King Day sponsors include The Starbucks Foundation and Tennessee Arts Commission. A host of restaurants and services are providing in-kind donations, and several corporations and organizations have committed volunteers to serve at the museum on King Day.
For more information about King Day at the National Civil Rights Museum, visit kingday.org. The event hashtag is #KingDay2022.
About the National Civil Rights Museum
The NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM, located at the historic Lorraine Motel where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, gives a comprehensive overview of the American Civil Rights Movement from slavery to the present. Since the Museum opened in 1991, millions of visitors from around the world have come, including more than 90,000 student visits annually. The Museum is steadfast in its mission to chronicle the American civil rights movement and tell the story of the ongoing struggle for human rights. It educates and serves as a catalyst to inspire action to create positive social change.
A Smithsonian Affiliate and an internationally acclaimed cultural institution, the Museum is recognized as a 2019 National Medal Award recipient by the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS), the top national honor for museums and libraries. It is a TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Top 5% U.S. Museum, USA Today's Top 10 Best American Iconic Attractions; Top 10 Best Historical Spots in the U.S. by TLC's Family Travel; Must See by the Age of 15 by Budget Travel and Kids; Top 10, American Treasures by USA Today; and Best Memphis Attraction by The Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Business Journal.
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 revenues of $69 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 490,000 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.
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