Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Featured Exhibit | With Liberty and Justice for All
Explore the proud and often painful evolution of American freedom, from the Revolutionary War through the struggle for civil rights, in this groundbreaking exhibit.

THF Connect App Tour
Download the THF Connect App to take the self-guided Stories of Black Empowerment tour through the museum.

Musical Performance | Denzel Donald Voices
Saturday, January 18 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Museum Plaza

Throughout history, music was not only used for entertainment. This is especially true in the tradition of the Black church. Join the Denzel Donald Voices for a display of the music that led from the church house to the courthouse and everywhere in between.

Musical Performance | Rev. Robert Jones Sr.
Sunday, January 19 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Museum Plaza

Musician and storyteller Rev. Robert Jones Sr. will explore and demonstrate the role that traditional music has played in the battle for dignity and social change, from the time of slavery to the present.

Live Performance | Words of Freedom: Excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Monday, January 20 at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. in the Museum Plaza

Join us for four live performances by actor Tony Lucas as he recites some of Dr. King's most famous speeches.

Original Play | “The Beginnings of the Boycott”
Monday, January 20 at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the Museum Plaza.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for defying segregation on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. In response, the Women’s Political Council organized a one-day boycott on the day of her trial where 40,000 Black citizens — the majority of the city’s bus riders — refused to use the system in protest of Parks’ arrest. A one-day boycott sent a message but wasn't enough to achieve the real change that civil rights leaders knew was possible.

This original play brings visitors inside the discussion with Parks, E.D. Nixon, Jo Ann Robinson and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as they strategize an initiative with greater impact. What would be the cost to Black passengers if they extended the boycott for potentially months or years? Was that cost able to be endured for a future where Black passengers would be treated with respect?