National civil rights museum expanding. Unlike Smithsonian, Trump has no immediate sway over its content [View all]

Source: CBS News/AP

September 15, 2025 / 5:03 AM EDT


Atlanta — A popular museum in Atlanta is expanding at a critical moment in the United States - and unlike the Smithsonian Institution, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights is privately funded, putting it beyond the immediate reach of Trump administration efforts to control what Americans learn about their history.

The months-long renovation, which cost nearly $60 million, adds six new galleries as well as classrooms and interactive experiences, changing a relatively static museum into a dynamic place where people are encouraged to take action supporting civil and human rights, racial justice and the future of democracy, said Jill Savitt, the center's president and CEO.

The center has stayed active ahead of its Nov. 8 reopening through K-12 education programs that include more than 300 online lesson plans; a LGBTQ+ Institute; training in diversity, equity and inclusion; human rights training for law enforcement; and its Truth & Transformation Initiative to spread awareness about forced labor, racial terror and other historic injustices.

These are the same aspects of American history, culture and society that the Trump administration is seeking to dismantle. Dreamed up by civil rights icons Evelyn Lowery and Andrew Young, the center opened in 2014 on land donated by the Coca-Cola Company, next to the Georgia Aquarium and The World of Coca-Cola, and became a major tourist attraction.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/national-civil-rights-museum-beyond-trump-immediate-control-expanding/