Florida State’s Civil Rights Institute Accepted to National Park Service’s African American Civil Rights Network 

Florida State University’s Civil Rights Institute was approved by the National Park Service to be included in the African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN), a federally funded initiative to bring awareness to various stories within the Civil Rights Movement as it spans time. 

The African American Civil Rights Network logo and the National Park Service logo above the Civil Rights Institute logo.

The AACRN Act was passed in 2017. Its specific focus is to present a holistic narrative of the Civil Rights Movement that includes well-known figures and events in addition to lesser-known sites that were equally consequential through federal and non-federal activities. The network includes organizations across the nation offering deeper insight into the Civil Rights Movement through preservation, education, and commemoration.  

“This partnership allows for national support and visibility of Florida State University’s Civil Rights Institute through the National Park Service, as FSU-CRI will have direct access to all of the historical civil rights documents and information gathered through the National Park Service,” Director Ted Ellis said. “This will provide tons of opportunities for our students and faculty from all the interdisciplinary areas of the university to engage.”  

As a part of the AACRN, the Civil Rights Institute will expand in 12 areas including policy advocacy, cultural programming, and community empowerment. In addition to providing grants and training programs, the AACRN will provide the necessary resources to establish a Civil Rights Symposium here at Florida State. The symposium will provide an academic platform for civil discourse here on campus, open for all AACRN partners to attend. 

Florida State’s Civil Rights Institute commemorates, celebrates, and studies the U.S. Civil Rights Movement to promote justice and equality on our campus and in communities where we work and serve. Through programming, research, and partnerships with academic units and student organizations, it aims to engage students, faculty, staff, and members of the community to provide academic and community dialogues. 

To learn more about the National Park Service’s African American Civil Rights Network, click here. For more information about the Civil Rights Institute at Florida State, visit coss.fsu.edu/cri