Bt Breanna Reeves | Black Voice News
February 17, 2026
Overview: A new pop-up exhibition, “The Legacy of Clarence Muse,” is on display at the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California through March 13, featuring artifacts from Muse’s life collected by Dr. Norman Towels. Muse was the first African American to star in a major studio film in 1929, the first Black director of a Broadway show, and at one time, the highest-paid Black movie actor. The exhibit is a result of collaboration between the Civil Rights Institute and the community, showcasing the life of Muse, whose journey extended beyond Hollywood to Perris, CA. The Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California is not a museum, rather the Institute exists as a “living enterprise rooted in history.”
