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Let's Talk Human Rights

National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis to Display Ferguson Voices Exhibit

A University of Dayton student exhibit of oral histories collected from people affected by and involved in the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, after the killing of Michael Brown will be on display at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, through Sept. 1. The fifth anniversary of Brown's death is Aug. 9.

“Ferguson Voicesis a continuation of the mid-twentieth century American Civil Rights Movement depicted at the Museum. Not unlike the Montgomery Bus Boycott or the Birmingham Children’s Crusade, Ferguson was a campaign of ordinary people who did extraordinary things. Too often the media frames the narrative. This exhibit allows those who were impacted and on the ground in Ferguson to tell their stories fully. This is an important exhibit for the National Civil Rights Museum to embrace,” said Terri Lee Freeman, museum president and 1981 University of Dayton alumna.

Ferguson Voices: Disrupting the Frame is a project of the University of Dayton Human Rights Center and PROOF: Media for Social Justice. A team of University of Dayton students and program coordinators collected oral histories in Ferguson, Missouri, in May 2016.

"The exhibit illustrates the story of Ferguson by focusing on the contributions of average people who found the courage to stand up during moments of unrest," said Joel Pruce, University of Dayton assistant professor of human rights who oversaw the project. "What a tremendous honor it is for our project and a testament to our students' work for the National Civil Rights Museum to host our exhibit for the summer."

In addition to what’s displayed in Memphis, the project also includes the Ferguson Voices: Disrupting the Frame website and podcast.

Established in 1991, the National Civil Rights Museum is located at the former Lorraine Motel, where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated April 4, 1968. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (except Tuesdays) before Memorial Day and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily (except Tuesdays) from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Admission is $16 for adults, $14 for seniors and students with ID, $13 for children five to 17 years old, and free for children 4 and younger and active military.


For interviews, contact Shawn Robinson, associate director of news and communications, at srobinson1@udayton.edu or 937-229-3391. For more information on the National Civil Rights Museum, visit the museum's website or contact Connie Dyson or Faith Morris.

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