Governor Hochul Announces Opening of New York’s First Civil Rights Museum in Harlem

Urban Civil Rights Museum Is Nation’s First Dedicated to the Northern Civil Rights Movement

New Museum Completes Urban League Empowerment Center on Historic 125th Street, Supported by Nearly $90 Million in Public Funding and Tax Credit Equity

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the opening of the Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem, New York State’s first civil rights museum and the nation’s first dedicated to the Northern Civil Rights Movement. Located at 117 West 125th Street, the museum is the final component of the National Urban League’s Urban League Empowerment Center, which also houses the organization’s national headquarters. The opening marks a major milestone for the development, supported by nearly $90 million in public funding and tax credit equity, and establishes a new cultural and educational destination in the heart of Harlem.

“New York has always been at the forefront of movements that advance freedom, fairness, and opportunity,” Governor Hochul said. “The opening of the Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem honors the leaders, communities, and everyday citizens whose determination helped shape our state and our nation. This extraordinary institution will educate, inspire, and remind us that the work of building a more just society remains as important today as ever.”

The Urban Civil Rights Museum explores more than four centuries of history through eight permanent galleries, tracing the experiences of Black communities in Northern cities from the Great Migration and Harlem Renaissance through the modern civil rights movement and contemporary efforts to advance justice and equality. The museum also features rotating exhibitions, including its inaugural temporary exhibition, Thriving! Harlem as Homeplace, along with educational programming and community engagement initiatives.

The museum is part of the Urban League Empowerment Center, a mixed-use development on 125th Street that serves as the National Urban League’s permanent headquarters and houses its Institute for Race, Equity, and Justice. The development also includes 170 affordable homes.

New York State has supported the broader Urban League Empowerment Center project through nearly $90 million in funding and tax credit equity, including $16 million in state funding, $2 million in RESTORE funding, $2.5 million through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, $35 million in equity through New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s (HCR) Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, and $34 million in HCR housing subsidies. Empire State Development also awarded $250,000 through its Market New York program to support the museum’s brand development, website creation and community engagement efforts.