Atlanta – Georgia-Pacific has donated $1 million dollars toward the expansion of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in downtown Atlanta.

City leaders and community members recently held a ground-breaking ceremony to celebrate the project, which will add 20,000 square feet to the 42,000-square-foot facility.

Some of the museum’s iconic exhibits feature the papers and artifacts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the history of the civil rights movement in the United States, and stories from the struggle for human rights around the world today.

“Georgia-Pacific is a long-time supporter of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and its mission of helping communities in Atlanta and educating everyday Americans,” said Curley Dossman, President of Community Affairs and member of the NCCHR board of directors. “It’s an organization that continues to tell the important stories of the ongoing fight for civil and human rights through exhibits, education and conversations.”

The west wing expansion will house a family gallery on the lobby level, a café, a gallery memorializing racial violence, and a space for traveling and special exhibitions.

The east wing will be a one-story innovation lab for a DEI experiences program, human rights training for law enforcement, and a national civil rights history education program.

Enhancements will also be made to the museum’s gallery that displays artifacts from the Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection.

“Our project is the culmination of years of planning that began shortly after we opened in 2014,” said Jill Savitt, Center president, and CEO. “This development of facilities and programming will fulfill our founders’ vision of establishing The Center as a national cultural institution and dynamic education, training, conference, and performance hub dedicated to advancing human dignity, rights, and justice.”

Construction is slated to begin in January 2023 and be completed by June 2024 - the Center’s 10th anniversary.