We took a guided tour of the museum, which lasted about 45 minutes. Beginning downstairs, the tour began with a quick video of the Civil Rights movement, followed by the "Walk of Shame" -- graphic images of the victims of violence during the protests -- using 21st century technology. The tour was treated to another video; this time, it was a reenactment of the planned "sit-in" by the four NC A&T students (actors) themselves. Following the video, the tour fed in to the actual counter (F.W. Woolworth's) and location where the Sit-in's took place. A video display replayed the events that occurred on that February day in 1960. To wrap up the tour, we finally viewed some artifacts, such as propaganda, signs separating whites and blacks, and other artifacts. One artifact that explicitly caught my attention was the dual Coca-Cola machine. The vending machine was placed in the Greensboro train station; one side dispensed Coke to whites at 5 cents, while the other side dispensed Coke to blacks at 10 cents. Following the Civil Rights movement, I'm sure Coke quickly attempted to collect these machines to prevent risking their image. As our tour guide noted, "this is one machine Coke will not be getting back!"
All in all, I thought the museum was very well constructed and aesthetically pleasing. The exhibits flowed nicely, and one can tell that much money was sunk into the building. While there were rumors that the museum lost money in its first year, I believe the museum will be profitable in years to come. For that statement to ring true, Greensboro needs other landmarks, museums, or tourist sites to lure potential visitors. The problem today is that the museum is isolated downtown -- there are only restaurants surrounding the building. One can only do so much eating during a day trip to Greensboro. If you live in Greensboro, or are planning a trip to the Gate City, be sure to include the International Civil Rights Museum on your agenda!
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