The first installation of the Lonnie King Jr. Traveling Exhibition, which showcases the papers of the civil rights leader best known for his work with the Atlanta Student Movement in the 1960s, will be unveiled at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History Thursday, Jan. 23 at 5:30 p.m.

The exhibition was made possible through a collaboration between Georgia State University Library’s Special Collection and Archives and the Georgia State Honors College and support from The Rich’s Foundation and Georgia Humanities. The installation will be available for public viewing from Jan. 23 through Feb. 28 at the Auburn Avenue Research Library, located at 101 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta, while the traveling portion — also debuting at the Jan. 23 event — will be appearing at public libraries across the state throughout the year in partnership with the Georgia Public Library Service.

“We at the University Library are honored to be the stewards of these valuable pieces of our nation’s history and be able to preserve, curate and showcase the transformative legacy of Lonnie King Jr.,” said Christina Zamon, head of the Special Collections and Archives Department at the Georgia State University Library. “We are grateful to the work of Dean Sarah Cook and the Georgia State Honors College, the generosity of The Rich’s Foundation and the support of Georgia Humanities for bringing this collection and exhibit to the University Library where it will enrich the education of Georgia State students and honor Mr. King’s enduring impact on human and civil rights.”

Born in Arlington, Ga., Lonnie King Jr. was a transformative activist in the fight for racial equality, a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and leader of the Committee on the Appeal for Human Rights. An influential figure in the 1960s Atlanta Student Movement, King co-authored the “Appeal for Human Rights,” a manifesto advocating equality, justice and desegregation in Atlanta that sparked a wave of peaceful protest across the region, while he attended Morehouse College. Throughout his life, King was passionate about teaching others the history of the American Civil Rights Movement and, upon his death in 2019, left behind an undeniable legacy of positive impact on Atlanta and the country.

The Lonnie King Jr. Traveling Exhibition — a project supported by Georgia Humanities, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, through appropriations made by the Georgia General Assembly — will offer an opportunity to learn about the civil rights leader’s life and his role in reshaping the South during the Civil Rights Movement.

Learn more about the University Library Special Collections Department’s mission to collect and preserve unique historical materials at library.gsu.edu/special-collections.

Explore how the Honors College fosters community and provides undergraduate students distinct opportunities for academic achievement at honors.gsu.edu.

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