Memphis, TN, March 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Civil Rights Museum will host the first of three hybrid, national convenings entitled “The Reckoning: Community Policing and Accountability” on March 30 at 7:00 pm Central. As part of “The Reckoning, The Resolve, The Restoration, and The Resilience” series, the Museum will bring together thought leaders, policymakers, surviving families, and activists to examine the historical connections of systemic racial violence and find solutions for today’s challenges.
During the first gathering, the participants address "The Reckoning: Community Policing & Accountability." RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, the parents of Tyre Nichols; attorney Benjamin Crump, social justice advocate and retired police sergeant Cheryl Dorsey; Alex S. Vitale, Professor of Sociology and Coordinator of the Policing and Social Justice Project; and Texas U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee will join the gathering to pursue justice for victims like Tyre with actionable steps to thwart the chances of egregious police violence happening to more families. The moderator will be Joy-Ann Reid, political analyst for MSNBC and host of “The ReidOut.”
Since the murder of their son, the Wells have used their voice to highlight the need for reform in policing in predominantly Black communities. Memphis is one of many U.S. cities where unarmed Black citizens have died in police custody and during an arrest. Crump represents the Wells family and has vast legal expertise representing families in criminal and civil rights cases.
As an LAPD insider, Dorsey highlights criminal, social, or public policy injustices affecting disenfranchised communities nationwide. She is a highly sought police expert on significant criminal justice issues.
A co-sponsor of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee will join the discussion on policymaking on the federal level. The measure establishes a framework to prevent and remedy racial profiling by law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels. It has yet to advance to the Senate floor.
The 7:00 pm Central event will live stream on the museum’s website, Facebook, and YouTube channels.
“As part of our work to educate and serve as a catalyst for positive social change, the National Civil Rights Museum is committed to centering the past lessons of the civil rights movement to issues of today as we seek solutions that rid society of injustices,” said Dr. Russell Wigginton, President, National Civil Rights Museum. “These convenings over the next year are key to the resolutions we’re seeking.
The National Civil Rights Museum is committed to being a convener of understanding and change. The museum is launching this collaborative effort to include a broad spectrum of citizens from many disciplines, industries, and roles to root out the causes at a systemic level.
The two upcoming events – “The Resolve” in June and “The Restoration” in September - will center on eliminating toxic, traumatic racist culture impacting people of color to achieve justice and humanity and gain hope and healing. The series will culminate with "The Resilience," a national symposium in early 2024 in Memphis. The national symposium combines the learnings and recommended solutions from the convenings to create an expanded platform for cause-and-effect discussions, data sharing, legislative policy, and transformative resolution.
Through the Catalyst Fund, the museum has garnered supporters like FedEx, to support the collaboration and learn from other cities and organizations nationwide. There is limited capacity for in-person guests who must be seated by 6:30 pm for the free, live event. For more information, 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.
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.
