The Center for Civil and Human Rights Officially Opens Doors

Staff Report

The highly anticipated Center for Civil and Human Rights officially opened to the public on Monday, June 23.

Serving as a connector between past and present, The Center shares powerful stories of individuals and civil and human rights movements, and invites visitors to reflect on how they can create a more just and humane future for all. The cultural institution creates an immersive visitor experience through light, sound, images and the written word, all designed to inspire patrons and stimulate thought-provoking dialogue.

“The Center uniquely and boldly connects historic freedom movements and iconic individuals, as well as everyday people, with the human rights issues of the present, thus sparking ongoing dialogue around the possibilities of the future,” said Doug Shipman, CEO of The Center. Designed with multimedia displays, compelling artifacts and interactive activities, The Center’s exhibits are created to empower people to take the protection of every human’s rights personally. “When we connect to others and to their circumstances, that emotional connection often compels us to lend our support, to take action even though we may never know or meet those who are affected, as evidenced by the courageous stories of many individuals featured in the exhibits. The Center draws on that innate characteristic of our humanity to inspire and empower visitors to help create a better world for us all,” continued Shipman.

The Center is located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, adjacent to the World of Coca-Cola and the Georgia Aquarium. The 42,000-square-foot facility will house four primary exhibitions: 

• “Voice to the Voiceless: The Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection” presents a rare collection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s personal papers and items. The exhibition gallery—an intimate, peaceful room—sets the mood by projecting the expression “I have a dream” in glimmering light upon a black granite wall in twenty-five languages, thus reinforcing what has become a worldwide call to action for civil rights. This allows visitors to fully immerse themselves in the thoughts, emotions and memories of the great Dr. King. The exhibit will be rotated continually, offering a well-rounded view of Dr. King as an icon and as a man.

• “Rolls Down Like Water: The American Civil Rights Movement” brings the amazing history of civil rights to generations who were not alive to experience that tumultuous and transformational time. It comprises a series of eight sequential exhibitions that bring to life the defining moments of the modern American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Using experiential technology, vibrant colors, sound, interactives and the written word, the narrative of these historical events is captured in a dramatic and memorable way.

• “Spark of Conviction: The Global Human Rights Movement” is brought to life in the expansive, light-filled Human Rights Gallery, which illuminates both individuals and global human rights issues. The exhibit is designed to allow visitors to engage deeply with the interactive displays and experience a personal connection to individuals with whom they share traits and characteristics who are taking a stand in the contemporary fight for human rights.

• A fourth “temporary exhibition” space will feature two inaugural-year exhibitions celebrating powerful works by Georgia artist Benny Andrews from his iconic “John Lewis Series.”

Normal operating hours of The Center will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. The Center is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Adult tickets are $15 and child (ages 3–unlimited free admission for one year, access to members-only events, and special discounts on programming, events and gift memberships.