Students Create Virtual Reality Exhibit For Civil Rights Museum

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — Mount Vernon Presbyterian School students in Sandy Springs have created an exhibit for the Center for Civil and Human Rights honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of his assassination, the students designed an immersive experience entitled the Drum Major Instinct — Continue the March capturing King’s timeless message of social justice. A reception celebrating the exhibit will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14 at the Center.

"Our mission, to empower people to take the protection of every human rights personally, could not have been better matched by this exhibit," said Ted Ward, education coordinator with Center for Civil and Human Rights. "As a juxtaposition of King’s words to live a committed life behind, the students’ first-person experience provided visitors the opportunity to learn about the work of contemporary activists who are affecting social change."

Mount Vernon senior Bryce Jones said the students wanted to make the exhibit as innovative as possible while drawing on essential storytelling techniques the center used to design its main exhibit.

"Virtual reality is a fantastic medium for storytelling; putting on a headset transports you into an entirely different world," the student said. "The time we spent on this exhibit really speaks to the power of its central message. We should all strive to be drum majors for justice."

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Some of the highlights of the exhibit include footage from the Women's Day March and the March for Our Lives rally held in Atlanta. The team traveled to Memphis to film activists taking the stage to commemorate the 50th anniversary of MLK's death at the Lorraine Motel.

Notable people interviewed on camera were representatives from Congressman John Lewis’s office, local activists like Terence Lester of Love Beyond Walls; Dr. Clayborne Carson, director of Stanford University’s MLK Institute; Andrea Young, director of Georgia's ACLU.

“Over the course of the year, I watched this team grow into emphatic storytellers who curated and created a truly unique experience looking at current activism through the lens of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy," Mount Vernon Innovation Diploma Director Brad Droke. "I was constantly impressed by their thoughtfulness and intentionally as they researched, interviewed, and connected with a diverse range of opinions, perspectives, and individuals."

To learn more about the partnership between Mount Vernon and The Center for Civil and Human Rights, listen to a recent MV Stories podcast featuring the team of student curators and/or attend the reception at the Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Images via Mount Vernon Presbyterian School