Freedom Award honorees include Fred Gray, Nneka Ogwumike
The National Civil Rights Museum announces 2026 recipients, highlighting decades of activism in law, sports, media and community leadership.
Topic: National Civil Rights Museum
RSSThere are 157 article(s) tagged National Civil Rights Museum:
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September 2026
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August 2026
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Photo Gallery: 901 Weekend Kickoff at South Main Trolley Night
Photographer Sean Davis was on hand to capture the action for The Daily Memphian.
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National Civil Rights Museum launches voter turnout push
NCRM announced a nonpartisan coalition to increase local voter turnout during the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
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Michael Jackson biopic stars to host this year’s NCRM Freedom Awards
Two stars, one a Memphis native, will host this year’s National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Awards at the Orpheum.
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Ruby Bridges believes ‘every child deserves access to books’
The author, who was 6 when she became the first student to integrate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans, continues to encourage young learners.
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June 2026
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Opinion: What Juneteenth teaches us about the America we’re still building
“Millions of Americans across racial and geographic lines are working harder and falling further behind. The basic infrastructure of a stable life is out of reach for far too many families. This is not a partisan talking point. It is the lived arithmetic of American households.”
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Opinion: James Lawson and how ‘the Civil Rights Movement will have to become revolutionary’
“With an iron-grip commitment to nonviolence, Lawson called for campaigns of civil disobedience that pressed the demands of the larger Black community.”
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A legacy of pride: Civil Rights Museum launches Bayard Rustin Institute to inspire ‘angelic troublemakers’
As a gay man operating in a homophobic era, Bayard Rustin was often forced into the background of the Civil Rights Movement, despite his critical role as a trusted adviser to Martin Luther King Jr.
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May 2026
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Thinker, dreamer & leader: Artist Derek Fordjour reimagines Room 306
Anchoring the Civil Rights Museum expansion is celebrated artist Derek Fordjour’s “Three Kings: Epilogue.” The massive artwork shows three sides of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Lorraine Motel and it tethers Fordjour to his hometown.
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National Civil Rights Museum opens $55M ‘Legacy Experience’
NCRM officially unveiled its $55 million renovation of the former boarding house where James Earl Ray fired the shot that killed Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968.
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‘We ain’t surprised’: NCRM’s Legacy Experience links past struggles to present politics
The $55-million renovation offers an expanded look at the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and of the movement since his death in 1968.
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Opinion: Seeking answers on redistricting in the National Civil Rights Museum
“Studying history yields a dividend: It brings us to a clearer understanding of who we are, what we believe, and what we do when the promise of our national creed does not measure up to the reality of our lives.”
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The AM/DM podcast: A week of barbecue, budgets and bikes
The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest returns this week as the only barbecue fest in town.
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April 2026
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April 4,1968 through the eyes of a then-19-year-old who was at the Lorraine Motel
Clara Jean Ester, who was 19 in 1968, describes the moments after Rev. King was shot. And the daughter of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu discusses the mission her father and Rev. King shared.
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March 2026
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National Civil Rights Museum open seven days a week in March
The hope is that the change in hours will assist with the museum’s “youth-based initiative.”
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February 2026
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James Lawson autobiography traces path of Civil Rights icon through Memphis and beyond
Lawson’s autobiography, coauthored by Memphian Emily Yellin, had a Memphis launch Friday, Feb. 20, at the National Civil Rights Museum.
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Jesse Jackson’s post-MLK rise deeply rooted in Memphis
Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon, died Tuesday. He was a frequent presence in Memphis’ political life and transformation from 1968 on.
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January 2026
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On MLK Day, calls for new activism echoed around the National Civil Rights Museum
The holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. drew a large crowd at the Civil Rights Museum as one of the last living members of the city’s civil rights vanguard called out against “the silence of good people.”
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Tigers honoring two Memphians who have left their mark on the city
The University of Memphis is honoring two graduates with its Legacy Award.
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October 2025
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Meet 3 young Memphians who are advocating for social justice
The NCRM’s 2025 Keeper of the Dream awards winners — Carlos Watkins, Pragna Rajashekar and Christian Love — answered questions from The Daily Memphian, from what the museum means for Memphis to where they’ll travel with their prize.
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Freedom Award honorees call for action at National Civil Rights Museum
The museum awarded Marc Morial, Velma Lois Jones and Mark Suzman for their advancements in “truth, equity and justice.”
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Civil Rights Museum looks to future with expansion of ‘sacred ground’
The National Civil Rights Museum’s Freedom Awards mark another move by the 34-year-old institution further onto the “sacred ground” it occupies.
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A perfect place for poetry and pondering opens at the National Civil Rights Museum
The National Civil Rights Museum celebrated the opening of the BlueCross Healthy Place at Founders Park on Saturday, the first phase of the museum’s two-part, $38 million expansion.
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September 2025
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Penny Hardaway says current Tigers team is one of his most ‘talented’ ever
Memphis coach Penny Hardaway addressed his new-look roster, coaching staff vacancies and more.
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Slicing, Ja, Bass Pro: Popular streamer IShowSpeed’s day in Memphis
IShowSpeed, a popular streamer who ranked No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s list of 25 Most Influential Creators of 2025, drew crowds during his visit to Memphis on Thursday, Sept. 11.
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