National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN Celebrates Civil Rights Movement

The National Civil Rights Museum located in Memphis Tennessee is one of the main attractions in this historic city. The museum was able to purchase the Lorraine Hotel, where Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated, and turn it into a world class museum and memorial to Dr. King.

In 1982 the Lorraine Hotel had been neglected since Dr. King's assassination. The motel was put up for auction and purchased by The Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation for $144,000 dollars. Much of this money was raised through the fundraising efforts of the Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation as well as through private sponsorship.

The Museum completed a major upgrade in September of 2002. They added nearly thirteen thousand square feet of exhibition space. This new space has allowed the Museum to include highlights of civil rights triumphs from around the globe.

The museum is in a central location of Memphis Tennessee. There are a multitude of first class restaurants, art venues, and plenty of live music clubs within easy driving distance of the National Civil Rights Museum.

Memphis is home to nearly 700,000 people and is the largest city in Tennessee. There are a variety of things to do in Memphis, but the main tourist attraction occurs in the spring and is known as Memphis in May. Memphis in May is dominated by four main attractions which are; The Beale St. Music Festival, The World Championship Barbequing Contest, The Sunset Symphony, and International Week. In addition to these headline acts of Memphis in May there are many other smaller attractions.

According to USA Today the average home price in Memphis is down nearly 15% from 2007 to $128,000 dollars. Experts believe that Memphis is well suited to ride out the slow real estate market, however, because the city did not overbuild as many did during the housing boom.

The 663,700 people that make up the labor force in Memphis, Tennessee earn a mean salary of $36,870 dollars per year according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Due to the fact Memphis is located on the Mississippi River and close to the Atlantic coastline the transportation industry is one of the largest employers in the city. In fact FedEx corporate headquarters are located not too far from the National Civil Rights Museum's front door.

Crime in Memphis is a growing concern in the community. According to a report issued by Michael J. Heidingsfield, President of the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, the FBI released statistics showing that the Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had the highest violent crime rate per 100,000 residents in the United States in 2006. The report does indicate that there may be some confusion here due to the reliability of crime reporting statistics nation wide. If you would like to read the report in its entirety please it can be located at