Innovative new websites chronicle area civil rights history

Anna Mullins | Tuesday, February 24, 2015

The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis has recently launched two new educational websites focused on the history of the American Civil Rights movement in the Mid-South.

Mapping Civil Rights History is a website that uses GIS technology, allowing users to explore pivotal Mid-South civil rights locations on an interactive map that includes photos and history. The site is a valuable resource for tourists interested in learning more about the region's rich civil rights heritage.

A second website, named "Tent City," chronicles the struggles and victories of civil-rights-era activists in nearby Fayette County. Unlike protests in Memphis and other areas of the South, the struggle for equality in Fayette County was carried out without the publicity or direct assistance of nationally prominent social leaders or organizations.

The Tent City site features historical photos and audio recordings, as well as modern interviews with participants and witnesses of the movement. This site has already been added to the state's school curriculum and is being presented as an in-service workshop for Shelby County Schools' teachers.

To celebrate the new websites, the Hooks Institute hosted a launch party this week for the public. The free event at the University of Memphis took place on Tuesday, February 24.

Read more articles by Anna Mullins.

Anna is a local writer, editor and non-profit administrator. She serves as Managing Editor for High Ground and as the Director of Communications and Marketing for the New Memphis Institute. Share feedback and story ideas with her here.