REPLICA OF JAMES EARL RAY'S MUSTANG ARRIVES AT NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM IN MEMPHIS, TN
Posted April, 2002
Memphis, TN – A replica of the 1966 Mustang owned by James Earl Ray arrived at the National Civil Rights Museum on April 29 as part of the “Exploring the Legacy”, the museum’s $10 million expansion project. The Mustang will be housed in the Young and Morrow rooming house as a major artifact that will be on display surrounding the State of Tennessee investigation into the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Museum fabricators 1220 Exhibits out of Nashville were able to find a Mustang match from vintage photos and detail specification supplied by Museum Curator Barbara Andrews. The 1966 2-door white hard top Mustang was acquired and retrofitted at a cost of $23,000. The original Mustang owned by Ray is now in the hands of a private collector in Mississippi.
“Exploring the Legacy”, slated to open late this summer, will examine the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement following the assassination of Dr. King.
“The highlight of the expansion will focus on the impact the movement has had on the world. It will give voice to human rights leaders and struggles that have changed the course of history,” stated Beverly Robertson, museum executive director.
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