The National Civil Rights Museum plans Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday celebration with free admission and double-v initiative.

On the national holiday, January 17, the National Civil Rights Museum will remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a special celebration via live stream at 12 and 6PM Central Standard Time. The public is also invited to the museum for the King Day celebration for special extended hours,  from 8 AM to 6 PM. King Day admission will be free for all guests, thanks to the support of FedEx. Free tickets are available online starting January 3, 2022 at kingday.org. 

The online celebration will feature musical performances by Musical Director Garry Goin, cover musicians Southern Avenue, and more. The virtual event airs on the museum’s website at 12 PM CST.

With a “Double-V” approach to overcoming voter apathy and vaccine hesitancy, the museum will collaborate with organizations to offer voter education, empowerment, and registration as well as Covid vaccines and testing on-site. (confirm vaccines and testing)  There will be outdoor entertainment and activities for children.

Redistricting and state voting laws are changing, so 2022 is an important election year to inform voters about their rights and issues to watch for in federal, state, and local elections. Given the hard-fought battles to win the right to vote, the museum will inform guests about fair voting rights nationwide and legislation like the John Lewis Fair Voting Act and the For the People Bills currently in Congress. 

On King Day, the museum will collaborate with organizations to offer voter education, registration, and activation to help ensure every person understands their voting rights and receives voting updates. It is important that every vote is counted and fairly represented.  

The museum also joins the fight to dispel misinformation around historical atrocities and racial discrimination like the Tuskegee Experiment that led to the mistrust around vaccination. In the “Communities for Immunity” initiative, the museum highlights issues and stereotypes that contribute to healthcare disparity, lack of access, and mistreatment of patients of color.

The museum is sharing important messages on the seriousness of COVID, getting vaccinated, tested, and wearing masks to save lives.

KING DAY HIGHLIGHTS:

• Visitors can tour the museum from 8 AM to 6 PM. The changing exhibition, Outside the Lorraine, is on display until April 4.
• Reservations to visit the museum on King Day, January 17, are open on January 3. The museum has limited capacity, requires masks inside the museum, to remain vigilant regarding COVID guidelines.
• The virtual broadcast airs at 12 PM CST.  Registration opens January 3 and is highly encouraged.
• The museum is resuming its annual blood drive with Vitalant to help with the critical blood shortage. Anyone donating blood will receive additional free admission for up to four people on any day in 2022.  Blood donations in go toward free admission for Shelby County School students.
• For its food drive benefitting the Mid-South Food Bank, the museum is requesting guests bring canned good donations to help feed the growing number of hungry families in the Mid-South. 
• A full day of activities onsite includes Main Stage performances, a community & family activity tent, resources about the vaccines and voting, and more. 

Other King Day sponsors include The Starbucks Foundation and Tennessee Arts Commission.  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. 

For more information about King Day at the National Civil Rights Museum, visit kingday.org.  The event hashtag is #KingDay2022.