Memphis, TN, Aug. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thursday, September 11, the National Civil Rights Museum will open a new exhibition celebrating over three decades of culture and entertainment centered around a Memphis football favorite. Entitled The Southern Heritage Classic: Celebrating 35 Years of an HBCU Memphis Tradition, the exhibition showcases artifacts, periodicals, and footage from the collection of the founder of the Southern Heritage Classic, Fred Jones, Jr.

The exhibition begins the week of the Classic, as the event is affectionately called, which runs September 12-14 with over ten events that culminate with the football game between the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Tennessee State University. There are five components in the exhibition featuring:

• 120 artifacts, periodicals, and souvenirs from Jones’ private collection and others that include past and present participating team and band uniforms;
• the significance of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs);
• the impact of HBCUs providing gateways for Black college athletes to professional careers with testimonials from sports greats;
• the pre-game events and “Battle of the Bands” half-time performances as game-day highlights;
• Memphis as a cultural epicenter for the celebration of Black athleticism, education, creativity, and joy.

This is the first time an exhibition has been dedicated to the Classic. The exhibition will tell the story of Jones and share his vision of founding and expanding the popular sports and entertainment event held each year in September.

“The Classic has been a highly anticipated part of this community since 1990, and this exhibition defines Memphis in a way that only the Classic can do. It showcases many of the things that bring us joy — our people, traditions, sports, music, delicious food, and having a good time,” said Jones. “There are all kinds of stories about ‘what happened at the Classic’ from families, friends, fraternities, sororities, and others. We wanted to capture those great moments at the National Civil Rights Museum, a place dedicated to chronicling many facets of Black history, for all to see.”

The National Civil Rights Museum curated and designed the exhibition as a salute to the Classic.

“It’s important to the Museum that we exhibit The Southern Heritage Classic as a mainstay of celebratory joy each year. It generates millions of dollars for Memphis, but this exhibition demonstrates how the Classic is more than a game,” said Dr. Russ Wigginton, Museum President. “It shows the power of a community’s collective story around a single tradition that has a long-term impact for generations. Many of us have had countless Classic experiences through the years, and we hope as people view the exhibit, they recall those memories while getting a glimpse of the greatness that Memphis generates,” he said.

The Southern Heritage Classic: Celebrating 35 Years of an HBCU Memphis Tradition exhibition is included with museum admission until February 28, 2025. Visit civilrightsmuseum.org for more information.

About the National Civil Rights Museum

The NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM, located at the historic Lorraine Motel where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, gives a comprehensive overview of the American Civil Rights Movement from slavery to the present. Since the Museum opened in 1991, millions of visitors worldwide have come, including more than 90,000 students annually. Serving as the new public square, the Museum is steadfast in its mission to honor and preserve the site of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination.  It chronicles the American civil rights movement and tells the story of the ongoing struggle for human rights, serving as a catalyst to inspire action to create positive social change.  A Smithsonian Affiliate and an internationally acclaimed cultural institution, the Museum is recognized as a 2019 National Medal Award recipient by the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS), the top national honor for museums and libraries.  It is a TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Top 5% U.S. Museum, USA Today's Top 10 Best American Iconic Attractions; Top 10 Best Historical Spots in the U.S. by TLC's Family Travel; Must See by the Age of 15 by Budget Travel and Kids; Top 10, American Treasures by USA Today; and Best Memphis Attraction by The Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Business Journal.

– civilrightsmuseum.org –

Connie Dyson
National Civil Rights Museum
901-527-1225
cdyson@civilrightsmuseum.org