By Donnell Suggs
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, located in the heart of downtown and only blocks from Dr. Martin Luther King’s childhood home, will display a special exhibition of documents, speeches, and photos from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
The exhibition of the documents from The Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, Now is the Time: Remembering the Legacy of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, is a collaboration between the center and Morehouse College, the owners of the documents, and the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library, which is home to the documents.
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights Director of Exhibitions Lance Wheeler believes though many have heard of the legendary march and seen footage of that day, visitors will enjoy reading and seeing the authentic and original pieces of history. Photos are not allowed to be taken while inside the exhibit.
“The idea of this collection is to really give you a snapshot of the day,” said Wheeler, 31, of August 23, 1963, when more than 250,000 people convened at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. “I really wanted to focus on the people, the planning, and the logistics.”