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Don't miss the opportunity to visit the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee in honor of Martin Luther King.

Struggle against injustice is deeply rooted in the African-American experience. It is an experience of tragedy and violence, but also one of courage, strength, determination, and hope. It should be told and retold to ensure that the struggles, triumphs, and mistakes of the past can guide the future. The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee was opened in 1991 with this belief in mind.

The original National Civil Rights Museum houses over 10,000-square-feet of permanent exhibits that present a time line of the civil rights movement from the 1950's and 1960's. In 2001, the museum more than doubled its space and added "Exploring the Legacy" which chronicles events since Dr. King's assassination.

With the annual King Day Celebration held each January on the Federal holiday, and new theme exhibits for National Black History Month established each February, winter is a perfect time to explore this treasure. The Tennessee climate is relatively mild, too.

Special lectures and displays are scheduled throughout the year, but another good time to visit is during autumn, when the Freedom Award ceremony is held. Past honorees have included Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Barbara Jordan, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former US President Jimmy Carter, Elie Wiesel, Yitzhak Rabin, and Andrew Young.

Each April, the legacy of Dr. King, Jr. is commemorated on the anniversary of his April 4, 1968, assassination at the Lorraine Motel. Throughout the summer, there are frequent concerts and performing arts held at the museum.

The National Civil Rights Museum is located in the Lorraine Motel, the site of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination in 1968, and in nearby buildings including the Main Street Rooming House, from which the fatal shot was allegedly fired.

The museum houses an auditorium, a courtyard for dramatic presentations, a changing gallery, a gift shop, and staff offices. It is a comprehensive overview of the civil rights movement, providing an educational experience through its collections, research, and public learning programs. Some sections include Jim Crow Laws; Voices of Struggle; Booker T Washington; Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka; Little Rock; the Montgomery Bus Boycott; Students Sit-Ins; and in the expansion, The March on Washington and much more.

This is just a sampling of parent's memories waiting to be sparked, while children have a fascinating history to explore.