National Civil Rights Museum celebrates Juneteenth with a free Community Day

The National Civil Rights Museum is celebrating the Juneteenth holiday on June 19 as a Community Day with free museum admission and museum Member Appreciation Day. 

This is the second year Juneteenth is observed as a federal holiday, and the museum welcomes all visitors to learn more about the origins and importance fo the holiday and the stories of hard-fought freedom since its origin. 

Juneteenth dates back to June 19, 1865, when Union soldier, Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with the news that the American Civil War had ended and the enslaved were now free. This announcement was more than two and half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This population of Black Texans were denied their freedom since January 1, 1863.

The museum’s Juneteenth Community Day will allow everyone free admission to explore this American history that illustrates the resilience and contributions of Black Americans despite access to basic freedoms and equality.  The goal is to focus on the continued struggle for civil and human rights that guarantee fundamental freedoms and to raise the consciousness of systemic racism with the desired outcome to reform race relations throughout our communities.

The free Juneteenth Community Day admission is on a first-come basis and there is no advance reservation.  Members will enjoy special benefits including expressed entry, a member gift, a museum store discount, and refreshments.

The Juneteenth Community Day is made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund. 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. 

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.

 

– civilrightsmuseum.org –

Apple donates its proceeds from John Lewis documentary to museums that honor his legacy

In tribute to the life and legacy of civil rights hero and US Congressman John Lewis, Apple will donate its portion of the proceeds from the documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble” to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

“Representative John Lewis’s life and example compel each of us to continue the fight for racial equity and justice,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. “This film celebrates his undeniable legacy, and we felt it fitting to support two cultural institutions that continue his mission of educating people everywhere about the ongoing quest for equal rights.”

“The life and legacy of John Lewis, a National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Award recipient, is celebrated throughout the museum,” said Terri Lee Freeman, the National Civil Rights Museum’s president. “This timely contribution will help expand our digital platforms, allowing us to reach many more students, parents, and educators globally, and to continue as a catalyst for positive social change, as Representative Lewis encouraged us all to be. We are grateful to Apple for this incredible gift honoring him.”

“Representative John Lewis was a central leader in helping create the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Because of his pivotal role in American history, he understood the impact a history museum like ours could have on the world,” said Spencer Crew, the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s interim director. “For many years, he was the angel who kept the dream of the museum alive, and he made sure we got the presidential and congressional support needed to open in 2016. As a civil rights leader, he had a vision of what was possible for the nation. He had a similar vision for the museum, which helped make it a reality. Apple’s gift in his honor will help us continue to fulfill our mission.”

Customers in the US and Canada can rent “John Lewis: Good Trouble” at apple.co/-goodtroubledoc on the Apple TV app, which is available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac, select Samsung and LG smart TVs, and Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices. In Apple News, customers can explore a special Spotlight collection of curated articles that remember Lewis and celebrate his legacy, as well as listen to a collection of episodes that honor his life from The New York Times, CNN, NPR, and more on Apple Podcasts at apple.co/remembering-john-lewis.

About “John Lewis: Good Trouble”

In her intimate account of legendary US Representative John Lewis’s life and legacy, director Dawn Porter takes audiences through his more than 60 years of extraordinary activism — from the bold teenager on the front lines of the civil rights movement to the legislative powerhouse he was throughout his career. After Lewis petitioned Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to help integrate a segregated school in his hometown of Troy, Alabama, King sent “the boy from Troy” a roundtrip bus ticket to meet with him.

From that meeting onward, Lewis became one of King’s closest allies. Lewis organized Freedom Rides, which left him bloodied or jailed, and stood at the front lines in the historic marches on Washington and Selma. Lewis continued to protect civil rights as a member of Congress. He never lost the spirit of “the boy from Troy” and had called on his fellow Americans to get into “good trouble” until his passing on July 17, 2020. “John Lewis: Good Trouble” is a moving tribute to the real-life hero at the forefront of many hard-won battles for lasting change.