The North has something to say: the Municipal Civil Rights Museum tells the story of Northern Black Activism

A museum dedicated to the history of the civil rights movements and its impact on northern cities will open in Harlem this year.

The Urban Civil Rights Museum is being developed by the National Urban League and will be housed in the Empowerment Center on 125th Street in Manhattan. Occupy With approximately 20,000 square feet of exhibition and programming space, the museum aims to educate visitors about how the struggle for racial justice has shaped major urban centers.

The permanent exhibition includes stories of people and organizations central to the movement.

The museum is being developed in collaboration with Local Projects, a design and technology company, to offer interactive installations, rotating exhibitions and public programs exploring topics such as the Harlem Renaissance, the Great Migration and Northern civil rights activism. It will also highlight the work of the National Urban League in advancing economic and social opportunities for Black Americans.

“As a museum focused on social justice, we hope to connect and communicate with the people, communities and initiatives who are or are becoming interested in the fight for change,” said Jennifer Scott, director and chief curator of the museum. said in a statement. “The museum will be a place where you can see and feel the work of the many people who fought for justice in urban centers across the North and reflect on past civil rights efforts so we can imagine and inspire new possibilities for collective action.”

Scott said the permanent installation will also attempt to answer questions about black people in the North “before the Civil War” and how they dealt with the concept of freedom when many were still enslaved.

The museum, expected to open in June 2026 to mark the organization’s 250th anniversary, will be the first in New York City specifically dedicated to the American civil rights movement, with a focus on northern urban environments.

The Urban Civil Rights Museum will be part of the Urban League Empowerment Center, a recently opened headquarters and community center that also provides affordable housing and space for minority-owned businesses. The National Urban League said the museum will serve as a resource for scholars, residents and tourists, connecting local history to broader national stories of activism and change.

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