Memphis, TN, June 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Civil Rights Museum is uniquely celebrating a Juneteenth extended holiday weekend with Focused On Freedom! a series of virtual and special events from Saturday, June 18 to Tuesday, June 21.
The goal is to share inclusive activities that focus on the continued struggle for civil and human rights that guarantee fundamental freedoms.
The slate of events includes a live simulcast of the Poor People’s Campaign from Washington, DC on Saturday, a BlkFreedom Collaborative virtual Juneteenth presentation on Sunday, Free Period Monday for Tennessee residents, and the Focused on Freedom! community day on Tuesday.
JUNE 21 – Focused on Freedom!
“Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation.” – Coretta Scott King
To extend the celebration of freedom, the Museum is offering a FREE admission day with highlights, including the Solidary Now! and the Poverty Today special exhibitions. Normally closed on Tuesdays, the Museum is open from 11:00am to 6:00pm. The experience is an opportunity to learn about the Civil Rights Movement and to remember the sacrifices of generations past that made room for the freedoms enjoyed today.
The Museum is also issuing a Call for Artifacts and Oral History Interviews to people who participated in or whose families were present for the 1968 Poor People's Campaign to share their stories. On June 21, the Museum will record interviews on-demand and by appointment. The stories may be added to the museum’s collection and shared on the museum's digital platforms while the Solidarity Now! exhibition is on display through July 31. To schedule an interview, visit the Solidarity Now! exhibition page.
The public is also encouraged to donate or loan photos, artifacts, news clippings, documents, textiles, or other items that feature any events from the 1968 Mule Train from Mississippi to Solidarity Day in June 1968 on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The museum’s collection department is accepting donation inquiries via its website. The testimonials, objects, and documents will allow future generations a way to better understand the parallels of the fight against poverty today. Submissions are processed on an ongoing basis.
The Focused on Freedom community day is sponsored by the White Station High School Class of 1972 in celebration of their 50th Reunion and in recognition of the values and mission of the Museum. The reunion class has selected the museum as a community connector. The goal is to raise the consciousness of the history of racism with the desired outcome to reform race relations throughout our communities.
JUNE 20 – Juneteenth Federal Holiday
This is the first year Juneteenth is observed as a federal holiday, and the museum strongly encourages Tennessee residents to visit during its Monday Free Period at 3:00-6:00pm. As part of a community celebration, visitors are asked to think about what freedom means today, envision what more it could be, and create something symbolically beautiful to share with others.
JUNE 19 – “We The People,” a BlkFreedom Collective presentation
The Museum joins ten of the nation’s leading Black museums and historical institutions to commemorate Juneteenth, the historic day the Emancipation Proclamation was officially enforced, ending enslavement in Texas. As an annual collaboration, the BlkFreedom Collective has produced a virtual program that documents a national exploration of the U.S. Constitution in “We The People” through the eyes of historical museums and anthropologists. The presentation premieres at noon Central, 1:00pm Eastern. Visitors can watch it at the Museum, on the museum’s website and blkfreedom.org.
Small But Mighty Storytime Juneteenth Edition
The museum’s Small But Mighty Storytime is a virtual read-aloud series that helps children view history and see themselves as courageous changemakers both now and in the future. As part of the summer storytime series, Dory Lerner, K-12 Educator, will read Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States by Alliah L. Agostini. The book provides an accessible introduction for kids to learn about this important American holiday. They can learn about the events that led to emancipation and why it took so long for the enslaved people in Texas to hear the news.
JUNE 18 – Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival
The Museum will simulcast the Mass Poor People’s & Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls. LIVE from DC, the virtual event will be broadcast in the museum’s event spaces for visitors to watch. The assembly is from 9:00am to 1:00pm Central. It is intended to disrupt nonviolently, protest, shake up and move our nation towards love, truth, justice, and equal protection under the law. For more info on the assembly in DC, visit poorpeoplescampaign.org.
For more information about the museum’s extended Juneteenth weekend of activities, visit civilrightsmuseum.org.
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.
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.
