International Civil Rights Center and Museum

The International Civil Rights Center and Museum is a planned museum, currently under construction, in Greensboro, North Carolina. Located in the building formerly home to the Woolworth's where the Greensboro sit-ins took place in 1960 by four students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T), the museum is intended to memorialize the actions of these four men and the others around the country who took part in the sit-ins and civil rights movement.

History

In 1993, the Woolworth's that had long existed at the spot closed and County Commisioner Mevlin "Skip" Alson and City Councilman Earl Jones proposed buying the site and turning it into a museum. The two founded Sit-in Movement, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to realizing this dream. The group has succeeded in purchasing the property and is in the process of renovating it. [http://www.sitinmovement.org/movement.html]

In 2001, Sit-in Movement Inc. and NC A&T announced a partnership in an attempt to facilitate the museum's becoming a reality. [http://www.ncat.edu/Sit-In_News.pdf]

As of 2008 it is under construction/renovation, with no announced openning/finishing date.

Financial difficulties

Despite millions of dollars in donations including more than $1 million from the State of North Carolina, the Bryan Foundation, more than $200,000 each from the City of Greensboro and Guilford County [ [http://www.sitinmovement.org/donors.html The International Civil Rights Museum ] ] ,$148,152 from the U.S. Federal Government by the Department of Interior through the National Park Service Agency's Save America's Treasures program in 2005 [http://www.fedspending.org/faads/faads.php?reptype=r&detail=-1&datype=T&sortby=t&database=faads&recip_id=823314&fiscal_year=2005&record_num=f500] , the museum has yet to open and is still apparently in financial trouble. The organization has spent more than $10 million but its website states that nearly $19 million will be needed to complete the project. [ [http://www.sitinmovement.org/capital_campaign.html The International Civil Rights Museum ] ]

In the fall of 2007, Sit-in Movement, Inc. requested an additional $1.5 million from the City of Greensboro , a request which was rejected. [ [http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070905/NRSTAFF/309050010 "City takes first step to annex" : News-Record.com : Greensboro, North Carolina ] ] Greensboro residents have twice voted down bond referenda to provide money for the project. Complaints about transparency concerning government money already spent were important in the electoral defeats.

External links

* [http://www.sitinmovement.org/home.html Sit-in Movement, Inc homepage]
* [http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061001/NEWSREC0101/610010328 News&Record article about the 2006 bond referendum]

References