Museum in Michigan dedicated to raising consciousness about racism

The founder and curator of new exhibit in the Ferris State University says it's “all about teaching, not a shrine to racism,” according to David Pilgrim who has been collecting items since he was a teenager.

The objects displayed in Michigan's newest museum range from the ordinary, such as simple ashtrays and fishing lures, to the grotesque — a full-size replica of a lynching tree. But all are united by a common theme: They are steeped in racism so intense that it makes visitors cringe.

The concept is that people will be repulsed by the items at the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. The curator says it's the largest public collection of artifacts spanning the segregation era, from Reconstruction until the civil rights movement.

The objectives of the museum are:

• Collect, exhibit and preserve objects and collections related to racial segregation, civil rights and anti-Black caricatures.
• Promote the scholarly examination of historical and contemporary expressions of racism.
• Serve as a teaching resource for Ferris State University courses which deal, directly or indirectly, with the issues of race and ethnicity.
• Serve as an educational resource for scholars and teachers at the state, national and international levels.
• Promote racial understanding and healing.
• Serve as a resource for civil rights and human rights organizations.

To read more about the museum click here.