October 20, 2025
The event also coincided with the museum’s year-long celebration of the Voting Rights Act’s 60th anniversary.
The National Civil Rights Museum had much to celebrate amid its annual Freedom Awards and 60th anniversary of the Voting Right Act.
On Oct. 16, the 34th Freedom Award ceremony took place at the National Civil Rights Museum, famously located within the reimagined Lorraine Motel in Memphis. The ceremony highlighted three trailblazers for their leadership and courage for the modern fight for justice.
These three dynamic leaders have shaped their industries across civic engagement, education, and entertainment. Now, the National Civil Rights Museum recognizes their achievement in advancing these values of equity and inclusivity.
These honorees have changed the way we think about leadership, whether in city halls, classrooms, or global communities,” said Dr. Russ Wigginton, President of the National Civil Rights Museum, in a press release shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE. “Each of them models our mission to honor and preserve Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy while inspiring others to create positive social change.
This year’s honorees include Marc H. Morial, the President and CEO of the National Urban League; Dr. Velma Lois Jones, local educator and civil rights leader in Memphis; and Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation. In their respective fields, these game-changers have uplifted underrepresented communities and fostered systemic change.
These leaders also highlighted the National Civil Rights Museum’s own inspiration, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as a guiding light for their modern advocacy. Hosted by actor Larenz Tate, the ceremony also served as a recognition of civil rights leaders’ past and present quests for change. Through the celebration, it also remembered the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
“We honor those who risked everything to protect the sacred right to vote,” said Wigginton. “Even as that right faces new threats and attempts to be diminished, we remain resolute in preserving the truth of our shared history and the power of every citizen’s voice.”
With this foundational act of progress under attack in the U.S. government, the observance of its impact now ties into current fights for its preservation. Understanding the importance of the Voting Rights Act, honorees like Dr. Jones also highlighted the gravity of exercising one’s rights, especially in this current era.
The Freedom Award also recognize youth leaders for change through its Student Forum. They presented the Keeper Of The Dream Award to student advocates in Memphis, encouraging them to lead the next generation of activists.
As the Museum continues its mission and programming of communal upliftment through the Freedom Awards, the renowned institution also announced its newest updates. The Museum will reopen its Legacy Building in 2026 to further its telling of civil and human rights history within America.
Since opening in 1991, the National Civil Rights Museum has educated millions of visitors as they learn of Dr. King and others’ legacy and plight toward more equitable society. Located at the very place Dr. King’s assassination, the reclamation of this tragedy to speak on the civil rights leader’s values and truth remains critical to its story.
Its newly-updated building, deemed The Legacy, will feature student engagement and leadership spaces to foster diverse dialogue and education. It will also include frequently updated exhibitions that address contemporary social justice fights while incorporating technological advancements and firsthand accounts in its storytelling. Remaining true to its core story, it will also unveil new revelations about Dr. King’s assassination and its subsequent investigation.
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