Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

International Civil Rights Center In Greensboro Plans Reopening

Officials say they've ordered a new window for the International Civil Rights Center and Museum after it was broken during recent protests. The building in downtown Greensboro, N.C. is expected to reopen to the public after state COVID-19- related restrictions are lifted. KERI BROWN/WFDD

The International Civil Rights Center and Museum in downtown Greensboro is expected to reopen this summer. It's one of many buildings damaged during protests that were spurred by the police killing of George Floyd.

A front window is still boarded up after it was shattered during the demonstrations. The museum is also still trying to recover from a long pandemic-related closure.

But officials say they're working on a plan to open the doors once state restrictions are lifted.  That will include social distancing, mask-wearing, even some self-guided tours.

Co-Founder Melvin "Skip" Alston says the museum is a display of how young people from all races came together for equality and change. And he's looking forward to the reopening.

“That's a symbol for justice and peace and peaceful demonstration because of what happened there in 1960 when those four men sat down in a non-violent, peaceful protest,” he says. 

The International Civil Rights Center and Museum is housed in the former F.W. Woolworth building, home to the 1960 lunch counter sit-in. Four Black students from North Carolina A&T State University sat at a segregated lunch counter and refused to leave, sparking similar protests around the world.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate