Tougaloo College site chosen for civil rights museum
JACKSON, Miss. -- The $73 million National Civil Rights Museum will be located on a 9-acre site at Tougaloo College in north Jackson, but not everyone is happy about it.
A commission set up by Gov. Haley Barbour voted 22-9 in favor of the location on March 11.
Opponents argued that downtown Jackson would be a more viable site for the museum, which is expected to draw 125,000 visitors a year. Along with several other museums and tourist attractions, proponents say downtown Jackson was at the heart of the civil rights movement in Mississippi.
"We've just missed a huge opportunity to set this museum off on the right foot," Jackson City Councilman Leslie McLemore said. "This was just a huge opportunity. We just blew it in the biggest way."
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A commission set up by Gov. Haley Barbour voted 22-9 in favor of the location on March 11.
Opponents argued that downtown Jackson would be a more viable site for the museum, which is expected to draw 125,000 visitors a year. Along with several other museums and tourist attractions, proponents say downtown Jackson was at the heart of the civil rights movement in Mississippi.
"We've just missed a huge opportunity to set this museum off on the right foot," Jackson City Councilman Leslie McLemore said. "This was just a huge opportunity. We just blew it in the biggest way."