NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A traveling art exhibition showcasing stories of the Civil Rights Movement is heading to New Orleans.
Through the NOLA Resistance collaborative initiative, led by The Historic New Orleans Collection, the exhibition, “The Trail They Blazed,” will give visitors a multisensory experience as they hear the first-hand encounters of those involved in the movement.
“We designed ‘The Trail They Blazed’ as an extension of the oral history project, continuing to prioritize a collaborative process that has produced a richer exhibition focused on honoring the past and inspiring the next generation of civic leaders,” said THNOC Curator/Historian Eric Seiferth.
The exhibition will include 1,000 square feet of historic visuals, over three-dozen audio offerings of boycotts, public school desegregation, the Congress of Racial Equality, the 1963 March on City Hall, the many individuals who supported the movement, voter registration and education efforts and activism in the Desire neighborhood.
“We were fortunate for the opportunity to preserve the stories of so many leaders of the local Civil Rights Movement as part of our NOLA Resistance initiative,” said Seiferth.
The mission of the exhibit is to attempt to clarify the process of how change happens by way of examples from the New Orleans Civil Rights Movement from the 1950s to 1970s.
The creators of the exhibit say they want the younger generation to take note of the changes and use them as a map toward future activism.
“We invite all New Orleanians to visit and learn about the pioneers who made history here and elsewhere throughout our community,” said TEP Center Founder and Executive Director Leona Tate.
The exhibition will debut at the Tate Etienne and Prevost Center on Sunday, Sept. 10. Admission is $10.
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