[Mpls] A Building for Black History

[Amy Draeger]

Jeffrey Strand wrote:

"Perhaps List Members can facilitate a constructive outcome to this dialogue by offering ideas about how to assist Ms. Seals to raise private sector funds for a permanent facility in Minneapolis to house her important collection?"

Thank you for your post, Jeffrey and for this suggestion. I think it's a great idea.

I'd like to respond to some points that have been made the last few days in the discussion about the Black History Exhibit. Let me start by offering that a person's reluctance to view or exhibit a 4ft by 6ft image of a lynching is really not a reliable indicator of that person's propensity to be a racist anymore than a person's reluctance or inability to go to peace rally indicates his or her propensity to support war.

I understand the argument about graphic images everywhere in our world but a distinction needs to be made between government-sponsored images and privately-sponsored images. MTV does not have the power to me in jail, the government does. Additionally, to a defendant or a family member of a defendant in the Hennepin Cty court system for whom English may not be a first language and America might not be a first culture, the image of a lynching displayed in a courthouse might mean something quite different than it would someone born and raised here. As Minneapolis is home to the Center for Victims of Torture and the American Refugee Committee, this scenario is not as remote as it may seem.

The fact that many are characterizing the downsizing (not the removal) of the lynching image in the government center as racist-motivated censorship indicates to me that in spite of "black history month," the complete history of African American experience in this country has not/is not being told. Like everyone else who has cared enough to respond to this issue (on this list or off) I, too, would like it to be.

I think that the history "building" Ms. Seals' imagines can and should become a reality. Perhaps as part of the future "history walk" proposed for Van White Boulevard in the Heritage Park Development plan.

Amy Draeger
Audubon Park




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