Freedom Came Late: What Juneteenth Teaches Us about the America We’re Still Building
National Civil Rights Museum Op-Ed as published in The Daily Memphian Dr. Russ Wigginton, President On June 19, 1865, a Union general…
Read more250 Years – The Promise and the Work: Patriotism Means Honesty at America’s Semiquincentennial
National Civil Rights Museum Op-Ed Dr. Russ Wigginton, President Two hundred and fifty years ago, a group of men signed a document…
Read moreMuseum Launches Bayard Rustin Institute
Read moreThe Ballot Remains the Battlefield: The Demise of the Voting Rights Act
National Civil Rights Museum Op-Ed Dr. Russ Wigginton, President On April 29, the Supreme Court of the United States did what it…
Read moreMuseum Statement on the Passing of Bernard Lafayette, Jr.
MUSEUM STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF BERNARD LAFAYETTE, JR. Key Civil Rights Strategist, Organizer, and 2012 Freedom Award Honoree left an imprint…
Read moreMuseum Statement on the Passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. Champion of Justice, Voice of Conscience, 2018 Freedom Award Honoree
The National Civil Rights Museum mourns the loss of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., a towering figure in the American civil…
Read moreForty Years of the King Holiday: A Promise Renewed, A Legacy Reimagined
National Civil Rights Museum Op-Ed Dr. Russ Wigginton, President As published in The Tennessean and The Commercial Appeal Forty years ago, after one of…
Read moreLegacy Reimagined: A New Era at the National Civil Rights Museum
National Civil Rights Museum Op-Ed Dr. Russ Wigginton, President When the National Civil Rights Museum’s Legacy Building reopens in late spring 2026,…
Read moreThe Greater Memphis Chamber's Meet the Chairman’s Circle with President Dr. Russell Wigginton
Wouldn’t the world be a whole lot less interesting if Memphis wasn’t in it? That’s how Chairman’s Circle investor Russ Wigginton describes…
Read moreHealing on Sacred Ground: Why Founders Park is More than Just a Park
National Civil Rights Museum Op-Ed Dr. Russ Wigginton, President There’s a quiet power in standing in a place where history happened. And…
Read moreBreaking Barriers, Building Belonging: Reclaiming Our Shared Space
National Civil Rights Museum Op-Ed Dr. Russ Wigginton, President For the past two years, a fence has surrounded the Legacy side of…
Read moreBlack History Museums Face Rising Pressures Amid Federal Oversight
National Civil Rights Museum Op-Ed Dr. Russ Wigginton, President Black history museums across the country are confronting a growing wave of challenges…
Read moreThe National Civil Rights Museum Announces 34th Freedom Award Honorees
The National Civil Rights Museum is proud to announce the distinguished honorees for the 34th Freedom Award, recognizing their exceptional contributions to…
Read moreSixty Years after the Voting Rights Act: The Fight to Protect the Ballot Continues
National Civil Rights Museum Op-Ed Dr. Russ Wigginton, President On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act…
Read moreCommunity Over Chaos: Protecting Education for a Stronger America
National Civil Rights Museum Op-Ed Dr. Russ Wigginton, President On the heels of a historic anniversary, our country is reminded of how…
Read moreEveryone’s Freedoms Are at Risk When LGBTQIA+ Rights Are Attacked
National Civil Rights Museum Op-Ed Dr. Russ Wigginton, President In recent years, we’ve witnessed an alarming rise in efforts to suppress expressions…
Read moreJuneteenth and the Unfinished Fight for American Freedom
National Civil Rights Museum Op-Ed Dr. Russ Wigginton, President Juneteenth—June 19, 1865—is more than a date on the calendar. It marks the…
Read moreMuseum Statement on the Passing of Fred Smith
Fred Smith, founder of FedEx and a visionary leader, embodied the spirit of innovation, resilience, and community uplift. His work forever changed…
Read moreWith American Education Under Threat, We Have to Remember Where We've Been
By Dr. Russ Wigginton Guest Columnist When education is constrained, societies become more vulnerable to division and authoritarianism. When curiosity and empathy…
Read moreCommunity Over Chaos: Clayborn Temple and the Spirit of Rebirth
Photo credit: Historic Clayborn Temple National Civil Rights Museum Op-Ed Dr. Russ Wigginton, President The recent fire that consumed Clayborn Temple is…
Read moreA.W. Willis, Jr. at 100: Honoring a Legacy of Courage and Commitment
On March 16, 2025, the National Civil Rights Museum proudly celebrates the 100th birthday of A.W. Willis, Jr., a trailblazing attorney, businessman,…
Read moreLetter to the Community: Urgent Support for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
Dear Friends and Supporters, The National Civil Rights Museum has been privileged to serve as a center for learning, remembrance, and dialogue…
Read moreThe Fight for Truth: Black History Month and Today’s Cultural Pushback
Black History Month has been deeply influenced by ongoing racial justice movements and political tensions. The protests after the murder of George…
Read moreBlack History Month at the National Civil Rights Museum: A Celebration of Ongoing Education and Community Engagement
National Civil Rights Museum Op-Ed Dr. Russ Wigginton, President Every February, Black History Month serves as a time to reflect on the…
Read moreDr. Martin Luther King Jr. Knew Health Equity and Civil Rights Go Hand in Hand
By Dr. Russ Wigginton Guest Columnist King understood that poverty, inadequate healthcare, and systemic inequalities were barriers to individual well-being and national…
Read moreMuseum Statement on the Declassification of the King Assassination National Intelligence Documents
The National Civil Rights Museum is closely monitoring efforts to declassify national intelligence files related to the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther…
Read moreYes, There Is Voter Suppression in Tennessee. Here's the Key to Overcoming It
By Dr. Russ Wigginton Guest Columnist Every vote counts, every voice matters, and we must ensure that all Americans — especially young…
Read morePresident Jimmy Carter: A Giant Among Leaders
The National Civil Rights Museum joins the world in mourning the passing of President Jimmy Carter. A giant among leaders and a…
Read moreMississippi Burning: From Murder Mayhem to a Mighty Mission
by Ryan M. Jones, Associate Curator Sixty years ago, the state of Mississippi was a hotbed for civil rights. It led the…
Read moreBayard Rustin – Strategist, Organizer, Unifier
As he approached the podium, Bayard Rustin was determined and elated. He expected about 100,000 marchers to converge at the Washington Monument…
Read moreHonoring Jazz: an early American art form
This post contains mature language. April is National Jazz Appreciation Month. Jazz remains a highly celebrated art form and inspires artists in…
Read moreJohn Lewis: Freedom Rider
In a 1961 strategy meeting, members of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) gather in…
Read moreWith Sympathy: Letters to the Lorraine Motel
By Dr. Noelle Trent Director of Interpretation, Collections and Education In 2020, we respond to news and events within seconds on Social…
Read moreModel Slave Cabin
Among the interstingly novel artifacts in the National Civil Rights Museum’s collection is a model slave cabin donated to the museum along…
Read moreThe Lorraine Motel Guest Book
One of the unique collections housed at the National Civil Rights Museum is the Evidence Collection, related to the trial of Martin…
Read moreJames H. Laue
Photographs taken at the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968, have indelibly etched our museum’s landmark in America’s collective memory. These famous…
Read moreLetter to Coretta Scott King
The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, caused shock throughout America. His loss was mourned not only…
Read moreBen Branch
Musician Ben Branch was at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968. He had returned to his hometown at the…
Read moreLorraine Motel
For this month’s blog, I want to share two photographs from our Lorraine Motel archive collection. The National Civil Rights Museum provides…
Read moreWater Dippers
Jim Crow restrictions separated the races in America in every aspect of public life. Restaurants, buses, trains, restrooms, theatres, water fountains and…
Read moreThe Civil Rights Act Gave Way to Reform, but Flaws in the Language Left the Job Unfinished
Photo Credit: LBJ Library photo by Cecil Stoughton By Dr. Russ Wigginton Guest Columnist The Civil Rights Act Did Not Solve Racism…
Read moreMississippi Burning: From Murder Mayhem to a Mighty Mission
by Ryan M. Jones, Associate Curator Sixty years ago, the state of Mississippi was a hotbed for civil rights. It led the…
Read moreJuneteenth: History Moves Us Forward
by Dr. Russ Wigginton, President In the vast tapestry of American history, Juneteenth stands as a profound testament to the resilience,…
Read moreMuseum Statement on the Passing of Rev. James Lawson
The National Civil Rights Museum is deeply saddened by the passing of civil rights philosopher and strategist, Rev. James M. Lawson, Jr. …
Read moreJoin us for The Resilience: Combatting Police Violence Through Policy And Public Safety | March 22, 2024
The Resilience: Combatting Police Violence through Policy and Public Safety marks the culmination of a four-part series by the National Civil Rights…
Read moreHonoring Cultural and Artistic Heritage This Black History Month
This past Black History Month, the National Civil Rights Museum dedicated its focus to celebrating the significant contributions of African Americans to…
Read moreStatement on the Passing of Dexter Scott King
The National Civil Rights Museum mourns with the nation on the passing of Dexter Scott King. Dexter King, the youngest son of…
Read moreNational Civil Rights Museum is advancing Martin Luther King's economic justice mission
As published in The Tennessean January 10, 2024 Dr. Russ Wigginton, Guest Columnist As we reflect on the life and contributions of…
Read moreStacey Abrams: Champion of Voting Rights Honored at the National Civil Rights Museum
Every year, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, bestows its prestigious Freedom Award upon individuals who have made significant contributions…
Read moreA Demonstration that Ignited Change: 60 Years After the 1963 March on Washington
“We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn…
Read moreMuseum Statement on Supreme Court Affirmative Action Decision
“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take…
Read moreDr. Noelle Trent to leave the National Civil Rights Museum
National Civil Rights Museum Director of Interpretation, Collections, and Education, Dr. Noelle Trent, announced she is leaving the museum to assume the…
Read moreMuseum Statement Regarding the Passing of Harry Belafonte
The National Civil Rights Museum joins the world in grieving the loss of a civil rights activist, cultural legend, and its 1999…
Read moreLetter to the Community: Response to Video in the Murder of Tyre Nichols
“Every man of humane convictions must decide on the protest that best suits his convictions, but we must all protest.” – Dr.…
Read moreMuseum Statement on the death of Tyre Nichols
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The National Civil…
Read moreMuseum Statement on the Passing of Dr. Charles A. Champion
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Charles A. Champion, a community pillar, pharmacist, and master compounder of Champion’s Pharmacy…
Read moreMuseum Statement Regarding the Passing of Bill Russell
The National Civil Rights Museum mourns the passing of 2011 Freedom Award honoree and sports pioneer, William Felton Russell. Following baseball legend…
Read moreMuseum Launches Corporate Equity Center with AutoZone Support
The National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM) announces its launch of the Corporate Equity Center. The NCRM’s Corporate Equity Center will provide programs…
Read moreMuseum Statement Regarding the Passing of Sidney Poitier
The National Civil Rights Museum joins the world in grieving the loss of a great icon and its 2001 Freedom Award honoree,…
Read moreMuseum Statement on the Passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu
The National Civil Rights Museum grieves the loss of world leader and 1992 Freedom Award honoree, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Tutu became the…
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