Civil Rights museum

Room 01

Room 02

Room 03

The Children Marches

The Selma Marches

The Civil Rights Museum

Martin Luther King Jr.

MLK monument in Washington D.C

MLK giving his I Have A Dream speech

MLK's I Have a Dream speech

Martin Luther King Jr.

MLK was one of the most famous civil rights leaders and the most recognized. He led peaceful protests throughout the South to get equal rights for blacks. He was an excellent public speaker and wrote many speeches. His most famous was "I Have A Dream". He led the Civil Rights Movement in 1954 until he was assassinated in 1968 when he was standing on his motel balcony.

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Room 01

and Bloody Sunday

MLK and others marching

Selma marchers passing the Edmund Pettus Bridge

marchers getting attacked by the Alabama State Troopers

The Selma Marches

In the South, blacks didn't have the same voting rights as everyone else. MLK and some of the other Civil Rights leaders planned a march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery which was about 50 miles away, to try and peacefully protest the unfair voting laws. On March 7th, 1965 hundreds of people marched to the Edmund Pettus Bridge where the Alabama State Troopers stopped them. The marchers were attacked by the troopers and were forced to turn around. The second march was also cut short because of a court order. President Lyndon Johnson sent federal troops to help the marchers during their third march. Over the course 5 days more and more marchers joined the march. The marchers made it to Montgomery and the literacy test and the voting tax were erased.

Room 02

A girl getting arrested

Children being attacked by police dogs

Children being attacked by fire hoses

Room 03

Room 03

Children marching and protesting

The Children's march

When MLK went to Birmingham Alabama he was arrested for parading without a permit. In jail, he wrote letters to the other Civil Rights Leaders. They planned a march, not for adults, but for children. They wanted to prove that the police chief would use violence against children. On May 2nd, 1963 children from local middle and high schools marched to downtown Birmingham. The chief of police, Bull Conner sent police to stop the children from marching. The kids were attacked with fire hoses and police dogs. Over 1,000 kids were arrested. Birmingham gained a bad reputation and the town eventually desegregated public places like diners, parks, and pools.