Center For Civil and Human Rights!

 For the last stop of our family vacation we visited the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, GA, using our Atlanta CityPASS.

 

When I walked into the Center for Civil and Human Rights I could feel my nerves in the pit of my stomach. I knew I was going to have to brace myself for the images, the words and the sounds of pain caused by oppression, bigotry and racism.

More than ever, especially at this time were our country is experiencing a rise in racial and socioeconomic division, my husband and I felt it was important to come here and teach our children about civil rights. 

We want them to begin to recognize that human and civil rights were not given equally in this country or other places around the world, and many people fought for them to have the rights they enjoy today.

When I walked out of the museum I felt 1,000 feet tall, filled with pride and thankful for the opportunity to visit the museum and show our children visual and physical evidence of American history that is often not taught in schools.

My husband Andre' was so moved by our experience, we wrote a gripping piece on his Hoops Lab blog.

Here are a few excerpts from his post:

Upon entering the Center, we immediately stepped into a different world. But importantly…and this is SO important, though often minimized…this world was NOT THAT LONG AGO! 

The first exhibit is one that says “Colored”, with a collage of images of African Americans on one side of the hall. On the other side of the hall is a collage that says “White”, with associated images.

The two collages, on opposite sides of the hallway so that you can’t look at one race without turning your back on the other, immediately set the tone for the Jim Crow era. 


For a moving account of our experience at the center check out, A Black Man Sits at a Counter in 2016, for a powerful read!