Museum Of Racism

Sobering Portrait Of Intolerance

David Pilgrim, founder and curator of The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia in Michigan, began collecting disturbing relics of racism as a teen. After acquiring a large collection of artifacts, he donated them to Ferris State University where he taught sociology. For the next 15 years Pilgrim continued to collect, and with financial support from the university and donors, the now 9,000 piece collection is being relocated to its own exhibit hall at Ferris State.

Pilgrim says the museum “is all about teaching, not a shrine to racism.” He also told Yahoo! that the goal of the gallery is to “get people to think deeply.’

The artifacts being used range from the segregation era, to the reconstruction period, to the civil rights movement, and the present. To many, the images and artifacts are shocking, especially the full size replica “lynching tree” which adorns the entrance. Some have left angry and offended while others feel a “reflective sadness’ according to Pilgrim.

At the end of the tour is a “room of dialogue” where visitors are encouraged to engage each other about how these artifacts might be used to promote tolerance and justice.
In the end Pilgrim stands by his collection even though he knows they represent a dark and cruel past.

To read more, visit Yahoo! News.