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Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties facts for kids

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Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties
Established 2012
Location Riverside, California

The Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties is a special place in Riverside, California. It's like a museum, a library for old documents, and a learning center all in one. This center helps people learn about important social issues and civil rights. It also teaches about the history of the Inland Empire area. The Riverside Community College District runs this important center.

History of the Center

The Center for Social Justice is in an old building in downtown Riverside. This building was built way back in 1926. It used to be a bank called Citrus Belt Savings and Loan.

Saving an Old Building

A famous architect named Stiles O. Clements designed the building. It has a special look called California Churrigueresque revival style. In 2005, the Riverside Community College District bought the building. At first, they thought about tearing it down.

But then, they learned how important and beautiful the building was. So, they decided to save it instead! They worked with the City of Riverside on a big project. They spent $5.5 million to carefully fix and restore the building. This type of work is called architectural conservation.

Opening the Center

After all the hard work, the museum opened its doors in June 2012. It became the Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties.

What You Can See: Collections

The Center has many interesting things in its collection. It holds a large amount of art and papers. These belonged to a Japanese American artist named Miné Okubo.

Miné Okubo grew up in Riverside. She even went to Riverside City College from 1930 to 1933. Her work helps us understand important parts of history and social issues.

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