National Center for Civil and Human Rights to open in 2014

Atlanta’s long-established reputation as a city that promotes civil dialogue and global awareness is also the undercurrent of the city’s museums and attractions. Opening in 2014, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights will provide another unparalleled experience for visitors, solidifying the city as the global gateway for exploring human rights issues.
The 30,000-square-foot Center will provide the first venue in the world where visitors can learn about the history of the Civil Rights Movement, contemporary human rights movements and how they are connected. Exhibits designed by Tony-award winning writer and director George C. Wolfe will seek to create a dialogue between generations. Visitors will experience a combination of powerful imagery, compelling artifacts and poignant story-telling including Morehouse College’s collection of original writings by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and an oral history booth to capture visitors’ personal struggles with the evolving human right story.
The timing for the Center comes as past human rights struggles such as the Civil Rights Movement are becoming history to a younger generation. “We are at that stage where the civil rights movement is the new World War II,” said Doug Shipman, the chief executive officer for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. “We will provide an innovative resource for generations to experience and e sp ed y e hi em ts f e st nd he os @bi ti i t( fu re