MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The National Civil Rights Museum is one of this city’s top attractions. Most would argue it is the crown jewel. So it’s vitally important that the museum maintain that status and continue to build on it. That means getting the right leadership to get the job done.
The museum board thinks it has done just that with the selection of Dr. Russell Wigginton as the next president. Wigginton will take over next month – succeeding Terri Freeman, who stepped down in February after six successful years at the helm.
Wigginton’s background in African American history and his leadership roles at Rhodes College are tremendous assets for his new role. He also has served on the museum board and knows the inner workings of the organization. The challenge he faces is building on the work of his immediate predecessors Freeman and Beverly Robertson – both of whom took the museum to unprecedented heights as a showcase for civil rights past and present.
The museum is more than just the place where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in 1968. It is also a place that addresses today’s social and political issues around systemic racism, immigration, gender identity and voting rights. I often call the museum this city’s public square – where constitutional rights and freedoms are expressed and debated by today’s generation of activists.
So congratulations to Russell Wigginton – who I believe is up to the challenge. And that’s my point of view.