Introduction
In his essay entitled Come Together: The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Chuck Recee started off with what people often asked him about Atlanta. His initial response shows a considerable reflection on what makes Atlanta distinctive. He talked about the specific places in Atlanta that witnessed the birth of the American Civil Rights Movement, implying that Atlanta is also a special place like other Southern cities. However, as Recee suggested, it is not enough to know about where and what happened during the historical moment of the Civil Rights movement to feel the magnitude of that event. There should be something, an existing image to which one can associate “all the bits of history and all the ghost of martyrs you could feel in the air” (Recee). The eventual opening of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a remarkable realization where it subjects people to directly feel the events of the civil rights movement while it raises awareness about the struggles for human rights not only here at home but around the world as well.
Chuck Recee is right in suggesting the significant role of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in reliving the historical moments of the Civil Rights Movement and in raising awareness about human rights around us. As many human rights advocates believed, the fight for human rights exists everywhere and people should never stop fighting for it. Being the heart of the Civil Rights Movement then, there is not better place to commemorate the event than in Atlanta where the center sits today.
Atlanta and the National Center for Civil Rights
The National Center for Civil Rights is a very significant additional landmark in Atlanta city and this is largely because of the commemorating events that bind the center and the history of the city. This can be validated by how the author felt when people asked him about what is it like to live in Atlanta. While the city is a home to a lot of historical places, Recee thought that “there was no single place to visit that truly captured the heart of the entire city” (Recee). This is the reason why the opening of the center in 2014 is a remarkable event in Atlanta. The city is considered to the birthplace of the civil rights movement as Recee stated; for one, it was here where the activism started and were eventually supported by several social and other institutions that included the churches. With the presence of the National Center for Civil Rights in what used to be the meeting place of the human rights activists, it would be easier to relive those moments to locals and visitors alike.
Birth of the Concept
The idea of putting up the museum was conceptualized with the help of Atlantan’s who figured that it would be viable to build the center. While the fund was low and the group reckoned that there was little that they knew about museums, they still opted to pursue the project. An interesting note about the initial stage of the museum concept, the people behind it were able to unite for a cause, a rather encouraging replica of the people’s unity during the civil rights movement many decades ago. In fact, the idea of putting up the museum inspired cooperation without regard for the person’s color or origin. For example, the person who provided much of the idea about the museum, Doug Shipman, was “white as white”, but his color did not deter him to study and exert his efforts to make the idea of the National Center for Civil Rights a reality. Shipman, who would become the first CEO of the National Center for Civil Rights, Inc. was fascinated by the theologies of Malcolm and King, the leaders of black activism during the 1960s. More than opening its doors as a museum, the center actually served to open opportunities for people to further learn and create an impact in the community.
How is the Center Different from Other Museums
What makes the National Center for Human Rights different from other museums is that it is not only a museum for the sake of showing exhibits. In his essay, Recee discussed how the brain of the center worked to interconnect the concept of the American Civil Rights Movement and the human rights struggles of the current times. The author described it as “going to the gallery twice” (Recee), because the visitor can expect two things by visiting one gallery. Further, the construction of this testimonial landmark in Atlanta paved the way for people from all walks of life to connect to the past while recognizing the works that needs to be done, especially in terms of working towards the campaign on human rights.
Conclusion
Atlanta is befitting to be the setting of the National Center for Human Rights which is a museum that is dedicated to the cause of both the civil and human rights movements. For one, the city has been the cradle of the civil movements and has therefore witnessed one of the most important events in the history, not only of this southern region but of the United States as a whole. The construction and opening of the center is a significant accomplishment in fostering the reconnection of the American people to their past, and also of reminding them of their vigilance in respecting and protecting human rights.
Works Cited
Recee, Chuck. "Come Together: The National Center for Civil and Human Rights." N.p., Web.
