To Form a More Perfect Union National Civil Rights Museum

Abstract

Located at the historic Lorraine Motel, the site of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination in 1968, the National Civil Rights Museum is embarking on the first renovation of the permanent exhibitions in its 20-year history. The museum embraced a plan to engage the community in selecting the design team and in the design process. Through a series of public presentations, online and in-house surveys, forums, focus groups and community collecting events, the museum actively sought public input on this landmark project. Additionally, the museum set ambitious goals for the renovated exhibitions to challenge visitors to consider their personal role in the ongoing work to create a more perfect union. This article discusses the strategies used to build community interest and support for the capital project and inform the development of new interpretive methods that would create emotionally stirring and accessible yet intellectually challenging exhibitions in the first museum dedicated to the interpretation of the American civil rights movement.