Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/3108
Black Meetings & Tourism April/May 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 34 Greetings, my faithful readers! Since opening its doors in November 1992, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) has attracted more than 2.7 mil- lion visitors from around the world. The Institute brings to life both the anguish and the accomplishments of the long march to freedom through interactive, multi-media exhibitions. It serves as a national center for education and professional development on the American Civil Rights Movement and is one of the country's top heritage-tourism sites. BCRI's mis- sion is to promote civil and human rights worldwide through education. Its galleries are filled daily with school-aged chil- dren, scholars and visitors from across the country and the world. With the unveiling of the Expanding the Legacy Renovation Project in January, 2009, BCRI staff encouraged past visitors to "come back for another look." More than 40% of the Institute's permanent exhibitions has been completely changed or updated through a $2.5 million renovation. In addition to expanding the storyline, new interviews, inter- actives and artifacts have been added throughout the exhibi- tion. Experience: BCRI Birmingham April 7 Thirty Years of Printmaking by the Brandywine Workshop will showcase 30 color and black and white photographs that reveal printmaking as an innovative contemporary art form. The exhibition includes work by such renowned artists as Eugene Grigsby, Wadsworth Jarrell and Margo Humphrey and runs through June 21, 2009. May 14-16 The annual International Human Rights Conference will bring together activists, scholars, and community lead- ers to discuss environmental justice and the global community. June 6 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Food, history, music and fun — those four words can easily sum up the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute's 14th Annual Juneteenth Culture Fest. More than 7,000 visi- tors are expected to participate in the out- door festival that includes walking tours, games, music and other cultural expressions. The Southern Food and Beverage Museum (SoFab) New Orleans Ongoing SoFab's "Laissez Faire-Savoir Fair," is running through the whole year. SoFab is a non-profit living history museum "ded- EXPERIENCE THESE MUSEUMS BY PATRICIA ANN JORDAN student performers