Civil-Rights Gains Test New Memorials' Relevance: WSJ
Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 7:41AM Quoted via Wall Street Journal:
Does the America of 2009, led by an African-American president, need any more museums or monuments to the struggle for civil rights?
The question hangs over the proposed Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta where organizers in Martin Luther King Jr.'s hometown are trying to raise a total of $125 million for the planned facility. Last month, they unveiled renderings of the museum's design and said the facility, scheduled to open in 2011, already has commitments for about $20 million in private support and $40 million in publicly backed funding.
But the people behind the museum admit that making the case for another temple to civil rights in the U.S. has been challenging. "Funders will always say 'Why does it matter today?'" says Doug Shipman, executive director of the planned Atlanta center. "You have to prove to them that Martin Luther King matters today." more
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