Welcome To The National Civil Rights Museum

Welcome To The National Civil Rights Museum. At the Lorraine Motel. , On April 4, 1968, an assassin's bullet killed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, less than 200 yards from where you stand now. The civil rights leader gave his life for freedom., Founded in 1991, the National Civil Rights Museum preserves the place where Dr. King spent his final hours. Today, the museum is much more than a memorial to Dr. King. The Lorraine Motel has become a place for teaching and learning about the African American fight for equal rights. Every story of that struggle challenges us all to change the world for the better., King is called to Memphis , Frustrated with unfair treatment and low wages Memphis sanitation workers went on strike in early 1968. Local clergy asked Dr. King for his support. At that time, King and his staff were planning a Poor People's Campaign to bring attention to poverty and economic justice. The goals of the workers strike mirrored those of the Poor People's Campaign, and King came to Memphis several times to speak in support of the strike., The Lorraine Motel became a center of activity where King and his team worked together on both civil and human rights campaigns. Dr. King was shot and killed while he was staying here at the Lorraine., Plan your visit , 1 Lorraine Motel , In the segregated South, most hotels were white-only. African American proprietors Walter and Lorree Bailey welcomed black travelers to the Lorraine Motel. Close to Beale Street and known for its home cooking, the Lorraine attracted both black and white musicians., Stax label artists Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Steve Cropper, and Otis Redding were regulars. Now home to the National Civil Rights Museum's core exhibits, the Lorraine Motel greets visitors from around the world., 2 The legacy exhibits , Investigators agree that the bullet that killed Dr. King was fired from the boarding house next to the Young and Morrow Building. Today, the two buildings hold the Legacy exhibits. The display tracks the manhunt for the assassin to the moment of his arrest, and highlights investigations into the killing. The exhibits describe the impact of the civil rights movement on a city, a nation, and the world., 3 The grounds , Memphis police observed Dr. King's activities during his stay at the Lorraine Motel. They conducted their surveillance from Firehouse No. 2, which is still an active station today. The motel and surrounding landscape look much as they did in 1968. The listening posts in the courtyard offer background on the museum's campus and the city of Memphis., Captions , Upper Left: Dr. King and his aides check in to the Lorraine, April 1968. , Courtesy of AP Images , Lower Left: Sanitation workers on strike during the protest that brought King to Memphis, 1968. , Courtesy Jim Shearin, The Memphis Commercial Appeal