National Civil Rights Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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National Civil Rights Museum
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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The Lorraine Motel is part of the complex of the National Civil Rights Museum. The wreath marks Dr. King's approximate place at the time of his assassination.
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| Location | Memphis, Tennessee |
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| Built | 1925 |
| Part of | South Main Street Historic District (ID82004054) |
| Added to NRHP | 1982 |
The National Civil Rights Museum is a special place in Memphis, Tennessee. It teaches visitors about the history of the civil rights movement in the United States. This movement was a long struggle for equal rights for all people, especially African Americans. The museum is built around the historic Lorraine Motel. This motel is famous because it was where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.
The museum opened again in 2014 after big updates. These updates added more fun, interactive exhibits and short movies. The museum is run by a group called the Lorraine Civil Rights Museum Foundation. The Lorraine Motel itself is owned by the Tennessee State Museum. In 2016, the museum became a Smithsonian Affiliate museum. This means it is connected to the famous Smithsonian museums.
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History of the Lorraine Motel
The building that became the Lorraine Motel first opened around 1925. It was a hotel with 16 rooms. In 1945, a man named Walter Bailey bought it. He renamed it the Lorraine Motel after his wife, Loree, and a popular song.
During a time called the segregation era, many places kept Black and white people separate. The Lorraine Motel was special because it was a nice place for Black travelers to stay. Walter Bailey made it even better by adding a second floor and a swimming pool. Many famous musicians stayed there, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding. They often visited because of nearby Stax Records.
Dr. King's Last Days
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a very important leader in the civil rights movement. He was shot at the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968. This happened just one day after he gave his famous "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech. After Dr. King's death, Walter Bailey decided to keep Room 306, where Dr. King had stayed, as a memorial. He also kept the room next to it, Room 307, unused.
Walter Bailey's wife, Loree, passed away a few days after Dr. King. After this, Bailey changed the motel. He rented out the other rooms as single room occupancy (SRO) units. This meant people could rent a single room for a longer time at a low cost.
Creating the Museum
Walter Bailey worked with others to save the Lorraine Motel and turn it into a memorial. They formed a group called the Lorraine Civil Rights Museum Foundation. This group bought the motel in 1984. The motel officially closed as an SRO in 1988. Sadly, Walter Bailey passed away in July 1988. He did not get to see the museum open.
The Foundation worked with experts to design the museum. They wanted to save the historic parts of the motel. They also wanted to build a modern museum on the rest of the property.
Museum Opening and Updates
The National Civil Rights Museum officially opened on September 28, 1991. Later, in 1999, the museum bought another important building nearby. This was the Young and Morrow Building. It was connected to the motel by a tunnel. This building now shows exhibits about Dr. King's assassination. It includes police files and the rifle used.
In 2012, the main museum closed for a big renovation. This $27.5 million project updated the exhibits and the building. Experts helped make sure the exhibits were historically accurate. Many popular parts of the museum stayed the same. These include Room 306, a replica of a sanitation truck, and a replica of the bus Rosa Parks rode.
The renovated museum opened on April 5, 2014. A new exhibit shows a replica of the U.S. Supreme Court room. Here, visitors can learn about the Brown v. Board of Education case. This case ruled that separate schools for Black and white students were against the law. The museum also has many interactive screens and listening stations. These let visitors hear audio and watch videos about the civil rights movement. The museum helps people understand that the fight for civil rights continues today.
What You'll See at the Museum
The museum is located at 450 Mulberry Street in downtown Memphis. Most of the museum property is owned by the Lorraine Civil Rights Museum Foundation. However, the Lorraine Motel itself is owned by the State of Tennessee. The museum operates it under a long-term lease.
The museum complex includes the Lorraine Motel and other buildings. It also includes the Young and Morrow Building at 422 Main Street. This building is important because it is where James Earl Ray was believed to have fired the shot that killed Dr. King. The complex also has Canipe's Amusement Store next door. The murder weapon was found near this store.
Important Vehicles and Displays
The museum displays several vehicles that are part of history. You can see a garbage truck from the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike. Dr. King came to Memphis to support these workers. You can also see a replica of a Greyhound bus that was burned during the Freedom Riders movement. Another bus represents the Montgomery bus boycott.
A Different Viewpoint
Before it became a museum, the Lorraine Motel was a place where people with low incomes could rent rooms. One of the last residents was Jacqueline Smith. She had lived there since 1973 and worked as a housekeeper. When the motel closed in 1988, she was asked to leave.
Jacqueline Smith believes that Dr. King would have wanted money to be spent on helping struggling communities. She thinks he would not have wanted a large sum of money spent on a building for him. She also felt it was wrong to evict the motel residents. Since 1988, Jacqueline Smith has held a protest vigil outside the museum. She talks to visitors and shares her ideas about Dr. King's message. She believes the museum focuses too much on Dr. King's death and not enough on his message of peace and helping others.
Images for kids
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National Civil Rights Museum entrance
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Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tennessee
See also
In Spanish: Museo Nacional de Derechos Civiles para niños
