02/05/2026
***Black History Month***
Did you know Jacqueline Smith is a long-term activist who has protested for over 35 years across from the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. As the last tenant, she was evicted in 1988 to make way for the National Civil Rights Museum. She opposes the museum, arguing it exploits the site of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination and that the building should instead serve the poor, as she believes he would have wanted.
Key Details About Her Protest:
Duration: Since her eviction on March 2, 1988, Smith has maintained a nearly continuous, one-woman protest.
The Cause: She believes turning the motel into a museum is "sensationalist" and that the money used for it should have gone to support the impoverished community MLK was fighting for.
The Goal: She advocates for the site to be converted into a center for the poor or a facility that directly aids the community, rather than a tourist attraction.
Views on MLK: She argues that her protest honors King's true, radical legacy, rather than the "sanitized" version she feels the museum presents.
Support: Although she protests alone, some, including former President Jimmy Carter, have recognized her efforts; he famously refused to enter the museum in 1991 and instead spoke with her.
She has stated that she will continue her protest until the site is used to help the poor.
