From the Museum
Our entire lives, both personally and professionally, have been focused on helping the disadvantaged and recognizing the struggle that millions of Americans have experienced with respect to their basic civil rights.
We are proud to serve as co-chairs of an innovative new cultural center, the Museum of Civil Rights. This museum will promote a greater understanding of the history and legacies of the modern civil rights movement while actively nurturing future generations of visionary leaders and catalysts for change.
We encourage you to join our movement and to help us achieve our goals of building a world-class cultural center in the heart of Harlem, New York. Your gift will enable the Museum of Civil Rights to help heal the historic lines of division in our society and to inspire those who continue fighting for social, political, and economic equality for all Americans.
Reverend Al Sharpton
“The museum is home to a tremendous showcase of the movements for civil and human rights founded and grounded in the northern United States. It pays homage to the areas of advancement of African Americans, Latino Americans, women, the LGBTQ community and other ethnic groups who all fought tirelessly against discrimination and bigotry.
It will tell their stories so others will be able to see both the challenges and hopes of the American dream through the lenses of people from different backgrounds fighting for the same united future.”
Judge Jonathan Lippman
“Civil Rights in America are the life blood of our democracy. The new Museum of Civil Rights will energize and prepare future generations through the lens of our vast diversity and the monumental struggles to achieve equal justice for all.”
Maurice Cox
“The Museum of Civil Rights the most important and exciting one. Why? Because it incorporates the works, the literature, the photography, the history, the posters, the art, the films and video of ALL minorities and all struggles in the most dynamic of places–the Northeast and NY. And this is important, because if the history is lost, all that remain are half truths."
Michael Hardy, Esq.
“The Museum of Civil Rights the most important and exciting one. Why? Because it incorporates the works, the literature, the photography, the history, the posters, the art, the films and video of ALL minorities and all struggles in the most dynamic of places–the Northeast and NY. And this is important, because if the history is lost, all that remain are half truths."
Linda Stasi
"The Museum of Civil Rights is the most important and exciting project in which I’ve ever been involved. Why? Because this museum will be a repository of the real history of all minorities involved in the struggle for equality and social justice in NYC and the entire Northeast—not just the victors. It will incorporate the art, literature, photography, history, posters, film and video created by, of, and for all of these groups. The importance of preserving and honoring these struggles while we still can, cannot be overstated.
If we lose the physical history, all that will remain are half truths, and distorted histories as told by those who never had boots on the ground."
Dr. Lilliam Barrios-Paoli
“The Museum of Civil Rights the most important and exciting one. Why? Because it incorporates the works, the literature, the photography, the history, the posters, the art, the films and video of ALL minorities and all struggles in the most dynamic of places–the Northeast and NY. And this is important, because if the history is lost, all that remain are half truths."
Allen Roskoff
“The Museum of Civil Rights the most important and exciting one. Why? Because it incorporates the works, the literature, the photography, the history, the posters, the art, the films and video of ALL minorities and all struggles in the most dynamic of places–the Northeast and NY. And this is important, because if the history is lost, all that remain are half truths."
Board of Trustees
The Reverend Al Sharpton, Co-Chair
The Honorable Jonathan Lippman, Co-Chair
Maurice Cox
Michael Hardy, Esq.
Linda Stasi
Dr. Lilliam Barrios-Paoli
Allen Roskoff
The great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do.
JAMES BALDWIN
Novelist, Playwright, Essayist, and Activist