Stunning Civil Rights Movement Exhibition to Launch at Discovery Museum Newcastle

Journey to Justice chooses the Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne, for its exciting launch party celebrating US and UK civil rights

London, UK: On Saturday 4^th April 2015. Newcastle upon Tyne will host the launch of the Journey to Justice national multi-media travelling exhibition. It will be an extravaganza of music, history, poetry and film and include presentations of projects for local, national and international social change. April 4^th is the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s assassination.

‘We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.

Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.’ (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1963)

The exhibition will be formally launched at 1.30 pm on Saturday 4 April 2015 by Marcia Saunders who was a volunteer in Freedom Summer, 1964, supporting African Americans in Tennessee to register their vote. Her story is one of those told in the exhibition. Former ANC activist and freedom fighter Archie Sibeko is the guest speaker and other performers include Crossings and Children NE. Open to the public at Discovery Museum from Saturday 4^th April to Monday 4^th May 2015 the Journey to Justice exhibition will focus on some of the less well-known men, women and children involved in the US civil rights movement, featuring stories that are seldom told in the UK. Visitors will meet courageous, ‘ordinary’ people who challenged a violent, segregated America. The exhibition will make links to UK civil rights stories and will also highlight struggles for rights on Tyneside. The region has a long history of leading movements for social justice. Newcastle was chosen for the launch because of its links with Martin Luther King, who was awarded an honorary degree in 1967 by Newcastle University. "The North of England has a proud history of its people showing the rest of the UK how to stand together for those who are vulnerable.  Journey to Justice will be striving, with everyone's help and support to make a significant contribution to struggles for equality, inclusion and diversity today". Lord Herman Ouseley, founder of Kick It Out and Patron of Journey to Justice. Working with a steering group and partners including TWAM, youth and community groups, trade unions, artists, Northumbria and Newcastle Universities, FE Colleges and students, Journey to Justice will offer a rich programme of events:  courses, walks, talks, music and film to complement the exhibition as part of its mission to inspire and empower people to take action for social justice. Journey to Justice was created by its director Carrie Supple, a member of the Tyneside Caller family. It is a national volunteer-led alliance of educators, artists, historians, young people, lawyers, human rights activists, media workers and faith representatives.  Through education, music and the arts, Journey to Justice illustrates historical and contemporary human rights struggles from around the world to show how grassroots movements can bring about profound and sustained social change. The exhibition will tour the UK after its launch in the North East.