Temecula Museum Features Civil Rights Exhibit For Black History Month

TEMECULA, CA—In honor of American Black History Month, the exhibition I AM A MAN: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1960–1970, will premiere at the Temecula Valley Museum. It will open on Feb. 4 and remain on display until March 16 in the second-floor gallery at 28314 Mercedes Street in Old Town.

The exhibit is part of the City of Temecula's dedication to acknowledging the importance of this month and the poignant history of the Civil Rights Movement, a city spokesperson said.

In conjunction with this exhibit, the museum will also host a gallery talk about the Civil Rights Movement on Saturday, February 15, from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The talk will feature Joy Miller, a lecturer at CSU San Marcos and current doctoral student at UC San Diego, specializing in African American history.

"The 1960–1970 decade was a momentous time for the Civil Rights Movement in the American South. It was a historic decade that unleashed hopes for the future and profound change as public spaces were desegregated and African Americans secured their right to vote," the city shared in a recent news release about the showing.

"I AM A MAN: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1960–1970, displays a wide range of photographs taken by amateurs, local photojournalists, and internationally known photographers. Together, they provide a vivid visual story of the movement's evolution and shed light on its integration into daily life in the American South.

"Curator William Ferris and his team collected photos of the Civil Rights Movement by activists or news photographers who documented history before their eyes.

"Viewers of the exhibition will recognize photographs of protestors who carried signs with messages like “I AM A MAN” or other iconic images associated with the movement. Numerous other photographs have rarely been seen until now. Key events include James Meredith’s admission to the University of Mississippi, the Selma Montgomery March, the sanitation workers’ strike, Martin Luther King’s funeral, the Poor People’s Campaign, and the Mule Train.

"On loan from ExhibitsUSA, a national program of the Mid-America Arts Alliance, this showing has been adapted from an exhibition originally produced for the Pavillon Populaire in France by the Center for Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The French exhibition was funded by the City of Montpellier and administered by Gilles Mora, director of the Pavillion Populaire," the release said.

Don't hesitate to contact the Temecula Valley Museum at (951) 694-6450, or visit www.TemeculaValleyMuseum.org for more information on this exhibit and gallery talk.