HIGH’S ‘ROAD TO FREEDOM’ WILL OPEN JUNE 5 EXPLORING CIVIL RIGHTS ERA

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ATLANTA, GA. — The most significant art museum exhibition devoted to photography of the civil rights movement in more than two decades will premiere at the High Museum of Art June 7–October 5.

“Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956–1968” will include unforgettable images that helped change the nation, increasing the momentum of the nonviolent movement by dramatically raising awareness of injustice and the struggle for equality.

Consisting of approximately 200 photographs — many of which have never been on public display — “Road to Freedom” will be drawn primarily from the High’s permanent collection, which contains one of the most comprehensive holdings of Civil Rights-era photography in the country. The exhibition will coincide with the 40th anniversary of the death of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956–1968” is organized by Julian Cox, the museum’s curator of photography. The exhibition will be accompanied by a comprehensive catalog and will travel to Washington, D.C., in November.

Covering the 12-year period between the Rosa Parks case in 1955–1956 and Dr King Jr’s assassination in 1968, “Road to Freedom” will follow key events such as the Freedom Rides of 1961, the Birmingham hosings of 1963 and the Selma–Montgomery March of 1965. The exhibition will feature work by nearly 50 photographers.

 The High Museum of Art is at 1280 Peachtree Street at 16th Street. For information, www.high.org or 404-733-4000.