LAW DAY 2013
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
By Maureen Klein and LaTasha Smith
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
[email protected]
A
t the corner of Ivan Allen Junior Boulevard and
Centennial Olympic Park Drive is a unique section
of land that is cradled by Coca Cola’s World of Coke
and the Georgia Aquarium. A major transformation at this
site in downtown Atlanta, Georgia will result in the National
Center for Civil and Human Rights, a rare exhibition space
focused on historic and present day civil and human rights.
Currently operating from the fifth floor of the Ernst and Young
building, the employees of the National Center for Civil and
Human Rights can look from their office windows and imagine
the future exhibition space as a strong motivator for each
small and large task. With an anticipated opening date of
spring 2014, the Center, which began in 2005 as a vision by
then City of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and several civil
rights leaders including Ambassador Andrew Young and
Vernon E. Jordan Jr., will be a 42,000 square foot facility that
provides exhibitions, designated event spaces, a broadcast
studio and educational forum. These spaces will share the
courageous fight of all people to secure equality for African
Americans in the modern American civil rights movement
and its fundamental impact and inspiration on contemporary
movements for human rights globally.
“The Center will be a storytelling facility convening Atlanta
and the national community around civil and human rights
issues,” said Doug Shipman, CEO. “I am pleased to be a
part of this historic institution that will not only commemorate
the legacies of our past, but also share their inspirational
impact on our present and future.”
The Center’s mission is to explore the universal search for
a secure human existence, in a way that inspires vigilance
and leadership among future generations. The facility will
feature a civil rights gallery displaying the modern American
Civil Rights movement and its impact on contemporary
movements; a human rights gallery featuring modern day
international movements ranging from immigration to LGBTQ
rights; and a gallery showcasing the Morehouse College MLK
Jr. Papers Collection, including the “I Have a Dream” speech.
The Center will address current issues while incorporating
the lessons from our past as a guiding path.
The Center appreciates the supporters and partners who
have committed to the vision of creating a space for Civil
and Human Rights. The Justice Society, an affinity group that
provides legal professionals with an opportunity to express
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THE ATLANTA LAWYER
April 2013
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
their support for programming emphasizing the importance
of the Rule of Law in codifying human rights, has raised more
than $500,000 toward its $1 million goal.
“I am honored to serve on the board of The National Center
for Civil and Human Rights,” said Ernest Greer, Managing
Shareholder of the Atlanta Office of Greenberg Traurig.
“My participation with the Justice Society allows me to
honor and celebrate the advancement of civil rights that
has made possible the professional opportunities that I and
many others now enjoy. I encourage others involved in the
legal community to join together to honor this heritage and
embrace our obligation to assure all people equal access
to justice.”
The Center invites all legal professionals and firms interested
in committing to this goal and our vision. Justice Society
members enjoy special benefits and recognition of their
support in the Center’s communications, as well as in
the completed facility. Joining gives members and their
colleagues access to the history-making project’s milestones
and relevant professional development on diversity, inclusion
and human rights in the everyday work world.
“On behalf of the 2500 lawyers of Jones Day worldwide,
we are honored to be the founding member of the Justice
Society -- having endowed the establishment of the Center’s
"What are Human Rights" exhibit,” said Lizanne Thomas,
President of the Jones Day Foundation. “We can think of
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association