The Center is rooted in the history of Atlanta: the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the modern Civil Rights Movement. Two of the most influential movement organizations were based in Atlanta — the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Our exhibits connect civil rights history to the ongoing struggle for justice and equality.
Rolls Down Like Water: U.S. Civil Rights Movement presents the fight for civil rights in America – from the era of Jim Crow segregation to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968.
Spark of Conviction: Global Human Rights Movement features the stories of courageous advocates – from the past and today – and how they have worked to ensure individual rights and dignity are protected.
The first floor of The Center focuses on Dr. King. The Voice to the Voiceless gallery displays items from the Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, and the large-scale art installation, “FRAGMENTS,” features his distinctive handwriting, etched in metal and illuminated.
Out Down South: Voices & Portraits of LGBTQ+ Atlanta profiles oral histories of Atlanta LGBTQ+ community members who have profoundly impacted the city’s cultural, political, and creative landscape.
Installations are the individual components that make up each of The Center’s exhibition galleries.
Fragments, an art installation, features King’s words in his distinctive handwriting, etched in metal and illuminated.
After learning about the training involved in non-violent protests, visitors are invited to participate in a lunch counter sit-in simulation and place themselves in the shoes of non-violent protestors.
Throughout history, brave and visionary people have devoted themselves to fighting for equality, dignity and freedom. This slider features portraits of prominent human rights defenders…
On May 14, 1961 near Anniston, Alabama, one of the buses Freedom Riders rode was firebombed. Visitors enter a reconstruction of the same Greyhound Bus that Freedom Riders rode that day and are immersed by oral histories from the Riders, as well as a short film inside of the bus.
Experience the virtual tour! The National Center for Civil and Human Rights invites you to enjoy the rich history and contemporary relevance of our exhibits.
Our Interactive 360 degree virtual tour allows you to use your desktop computer to click and drag the virtual camera during the video, or if your are viewing from an android, iOS device or tablet, simply pan/tilt your device in the direction of the museum you want to view. To recenter the virtual camera, left click and hold the cursor in the center of the screen and drag it up to see the “guided experience” banner at the bottom of the floor. The arrows located on the left and right of the banner will always be facing forward, indicating the optimal direction the virtual tour camera should be facing.