On the national holiday, January 20, the National Civil Rights Museum will remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a special celebration. The museum is open extended hours and King Day admission will be free for all guests, thanks to the support of FedEx.

Dr. King realized the importance of representation as a young leader during the Prayer for Pilgrimage in 1957 when he stated, “Give us the ballot, and we will no longer have to worry the federal government about our basic rights.” The nation is still faced with the dilemma as its constituency is confronted with voter suppression tactics. The year 2020 is an important election and U.S. Census year, and the museum is participating in the efforts to help ensure every person is counted and fairly represented.

Given the hard-fought battles to win the right to vote, the museum has been a long-time advocate of voting rights. On King Day it will collaborate with organizations to offer voter education, empowerment and registration. This year represents a critical presidential election year, the 150th anniversary of the 15th Amendment granting freedmen the right to vote and the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment that guaranteed American women the right to vote.

The museum is also hosting agencies with resources to inform guests about the U.S. Census 2020, including privacy protections, the census’ impact on congressional and state legislative district boundaries, and how government funds are allocated for vital programs that affect the quality of life in communities. The census counts everyone regardless of citizenship status, and this year, the survey can be easily and anonymously conducted online or by smart phone.

“2020 is an important year,” said Museum President Terri Lee Freeman. “First, it is our opportunity to ensure that we get appropriate representation in Congress by completing a count or census of the nation's residents. Second, it is a federal election year, so registering people to vote is critically important. It is also the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment extending voting rights to women. We plan to make factual information available to our guests at King Day about the Census and voting rights. We are thankful to FedEx that, through their sponsorship of free admission, we can get these messages to the thousands of visitors with us for King Day,” she said.

“At FedEx, we believe that when we connect people and possibilities, we can change the world,” shared Shannon Brown, senior vice president, Eastern Division U.S. Operations and Chief Diversity Officer, FedEx Express. "We are proud to support free public admission to the National Civil Rights Museum and help thousands of visitors connect with Dr. King’s legacy and leave inspired to drive positive changes of their own.”

Other King Day sponsors include Caesars Foundation, The Starbucks Foundation, Tennessee Arts Commission and University of Tennessee Health and Science Center. A host of restaurants and services are providing in-kind donations, and several corporations and organizations have committed volunteers to serve at the museum on King Day.

KING DAY HIGHLIGHTS:

Visitors can tour the museum from 8am–6pm. Included in the tour is the new installment of the From the Vault, an exhibit featuring newly acquired photos, fine art and artifacts from the museum’s Collections vault that are rarely displayed. The exhibit is open January 17 – April 13, 2020.

The museum is continuing its annual blood drive with Vitalant (formerly Lifeblood) to help with the seasonal blood shortage. Any one donating blood will receive additional free admission for up to four people on any day in 2020.

For the annual food drive benefitting the Mid-South Food Bank, the museum is requesting canned good donations for future free museum admission and to help feed hungry families in the Mid-South.

A full day of activities include Main Stage performances, a Family Activity Tent, resources about the census and voting, arts & crafts stations, social media trivia contest with prizes, and more.

For more information about the King Day at the National Civil Rights Museum, visit kingday.org. The event hashtag is #KingDay2020.