October 17th 2023.
The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, will be hosting its 32nd annual Freedom Award ceremony on Thursday, October 19th, at the Orpheum Theatre. This year, three esteemed civil and human rights leaders have been chosen to receive the award: Dr. Clayborne Carson, activist Stacey Abrams, and human rights leader Kerry Kennedy.
The Freedom Award is given to those who have made significant contributions to civil rights and have laid the foundation for the next generation of civil rights leaders. In the past, the award has been presented to Michelle Obama, President Joe Biden, The Poor People’s Campaign, and John Legend.
Dr. Clayborne Carson is a professor at Stanford University and the founder and director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute. The institute houses digital educational resources on the civil rights leader. On being chosen for the Freedom Award, Carson said he was honored and delighted to be recognized for his work. He added that it was a privilege to receive the award alongside Stacey Abrams and Kerry Kennedy.
Carson has also directed the Martin Luther King Papers Project since 1985, a long-term project to edit and publish the papers of the civil rights activist. He is considered one of the foremost experts on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He has written several award-winning books, such as In Struggle: SNCC and the Black Awakening of the 1960s, and contributed to more than two dozen documentaries on the Civil Rights Movement.
When asked about the Civil Rights Movement and the fight for freedom that continues today, Clayborne said there is still a long way to go. He pointed out that civil rights is different from human rights, and that human rights only advanced when civil rights are achieved on a global scale. To this end, Carson established The World House Project which works with other human rights advocates to realize Dr. King’s vision of a global community in which all people can live in peace.
Finally, Carson shared that he was inspired by the life and accomplishments of Coretta Scott King, Dr. King’s wife. He said that Coretta was more politically experienced than her husband and was a member of a progressive party. Her commitment to the fight for human rights drew her to Martin and she was an integral part of the broader human rights movement.
Tickets for the Freedom Award ceremony can be purchased here, while the preshow gala will begin at 5:30 p.m. at The Halloran Center. Don’t miss this esteemed event honoring three remarkable civil and human rights leaders!
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