Sitting for Justice
This exhibit is modeled after the experiences faced by four African American college students who sat down at a lunch counter at Woolworth’s in Greensboro, North Carolina, and politely asked for service. Their request was refused. When asked to leave, they remained in their seats. Their passive resistance and peaceful sit-down demand helped ignite a youth-led movement to challenge racial inequality throughout the South.
The Miseducation of Ruby Bridges
Visitors can walk through a classroom that was supposed to be desegregated. Nonetheless, Ruby Bridges was educated separately from her peers. Visitors can capture photos of themselves claiming their seat by Ruby Bridges and learning about young Ruby Bridges’ struggles.
No Excuses, A New Way to Vote:
In New Jersey, any voter can now vote by mail. You do not need a reason to vote by mail. Don’t feel like going to the polls? Simply vote by mail. Now there is no excuse not to vote!
Visitors can learn more about the process of Vote-by-mail in local, state, and national elections. Please note the Ballot Box presented is unofficial and should not be used to vote. Please reference our ballot box locations on the walls of this exhibit.
The Ballot Box: Then and Now
Our ballot box experience will provide historical context on how black people were turned away from the polls. Additionally, visitors can learn more about how to vote today and some of the ways New Jersey can make voting easier for residents. This instagrammable display will be a hit with younger voters who may have never fully experienced casting a ballot.
Dear Newark
Visitors will write letters to their beloved City, and when they’re done, the letters will be displayed throughout the immersive experience. In addition, people can record audio and narrate their letters in our onsite podcast studio and sound booth. The space will also feature the stories of Newarkers, including Amiri Baraka, Carl Sharif, Robert Curvin, Dr. Clement Price, and others who have fought bravely for our civil rights.
Get on the Bus and Claim Your Seat
Visitors can get on the Bus and claim their seats on the Project Ready’s Freedom Ride Newark bus from 1964. The exhibit features a vintage Greyhound bus used during the Civil Rights Era. Visitors can snap pictures and pose with Rosa Parks’ image and other figures from then and now.
Building Bridges, Marching on America
Artist: Suliman Onque
Our three-dimensional mural by Artist Suliman Onque will take you directly to the March on Selma and the marches during the George Floyd movement. We encourage visitors to take pictures of and in front of the mural.
Mahalia Jackson, “Tell them about the Dream, Martin.” Visitors will have an opportunity to play the piano and sing with Mahalia Jackson. They will learn about Mahalia intervening at a critical junction when she decided Dr. King’s famous speech needed a course correction. Recalling a theme she had heard him use in earlier speeches, Jackson said aloud to Martin Luther King Jr., from behind the podium on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, “Tell them about the dream, Martin.” And at that moment, as seen in films of the speech, Dr. King leaves his prepared notes behind to improvise the next section of his speech. This historic section famously begins, “And even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream….”
Through their Eyes: The 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing (1963)
The 16th Street Baptist was a large and prominent church located downtown, just blocks from Birmingham’s commercial district and City Hall. Just before 11 o’clock on September 15, 1963, the congregation was knocked to the ground instead of rising to begin prayers. As a bomb exploded under the church’s steps, they sought safety under the pews and shielded each other from falling debris.
The Road to Freedom, Then and Now
Artist: Malcolm Rolling
As visitors await the opportunity to board the 1964 Freedom Ride, please enjoy a mural by muralist Maclom Rolling which explores the past and present of freedom riding in America.