There are 10 article(s) tagged Russ Wigginton:

• August 2026

  • 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.

    By Noah McLane 2 hours ago

  • 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. 

    By Noah McLane August 02, 2026

• June 2026

  • Memphis’ National Civil Rights Museum celebrates joy this Juneteenth

    The festival included local food from Robinson Smokehouse (a local BBQ food truck), health education from Baptist Health Sciences University, Baptist Memorial Health Care and Vitalant with the Sickle Cell Foundation and live music from local artists like Ekpe and the African Jazz Ensemble.

    By Noah McLane June 20, 2026

• May 2026

  • ‘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.

    By Bill Dries May 15, 2026

• October 2025

  • 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.

    By Bill Dries October 16, 2025

• September 2025

  • Calkins: For 100 years, Memphis and Rhodes have needed each other. That’s truer than ever today.

    Rhodes moved from Clarksville to Memphis in September 1925. A hundred years later, the college and the city still rely on each other to thrive. 

    By Geoff Calkins September 24, 2025

• April 2025

  • Local museums, library organization brace for federal funding cuts

    Appeal letters to Memphis Library Foundation supporters have already gone out as a new executive order would eliminate the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.

    By Jane Roberts April 01, 2025

  • Civil Rights Museum opens its ‘most ambitious’ exhibition yet

    “Without Bayard Rustin, there is no ‘I Have a Dream’ at the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28, 1963.”

    By Elle Perry April 01, 2025

• July 2023

  • Affirmative action ruling causes stab of frustration but local leaders unsure of overall effect

    “Colleges are not typically just using race anyway — instead, they are typically considering race as one factor among many,” said a local law school professor. 

    By Jane Roberts July 05, 2023

• January 2023

  • National Civil Rights Museum moves to digitize archives

    Russell Wigginton, president of the NCRM, says on “Behind The Headlines” the museum’s expansion includes digitizing 11,000 items not currently on display. 

    By Bill Dries January 21, 2023