Race Exhibit May Be Coming to a Museum Near You

"Race is a recent human invention." This was the first sign that greeted me when I entered the Science Museum of Minnesota's special exhibit "RACE: Are We So Different?" The shocking revelations didn't stop there. It further states the idea of race is only a few hundred years old and is tied to power and hierarchy which promoted one group of people as superior and all others as inferior.

This amazing exhibit was created by the museum in conjunction with the Anthropological Association of America (AAA) to finally put and to all the misconceptions about race. Over 250,000 people visited the RACE exhibit during its four month run in St. Paul; now it begins a five year nationwide tour with its first stop being Detroit this summer. This exhibit takes an honest, hard-hitting look at race from three distinct yet overlapping perspectives: historically, scientifically and experientially.

Historically: When settlers first began arriving to North America, the primary method of separating people was based on religious beliefs. Non-Christians were subjugated to subordinate positions in society; however, as the African slaved trade increased, skin color became an obvious way of establishing a permanent lower class. Unfortunately, as the former British colony was establishing itself as an independent country, the Founding Fathers came face to face with their own hypocrisy.

One of the most powerful images at the exhibit is a large banner replicating the Bill of Rights statement "All men are created equal" juxtaposed with actual slave shackles. How could they fight for their own freedom on one hand, while still justifying the inhuman treatment of an entire group of people on the other? The only way was to convince critics that the other group is less than human and countless laws were created to support their claim.

Scientifically: Concepts of racial distinctions could not have been sustained without the assistance of science. Known as "Human (Mis)measure," the exhibit reveals numerous incidents when scientists sought to prove blacks were biologically inferior to whites. Many of the experiments they conducted were condoned by our government and, in some instances; the data was skewed to orchestrate results that supported their claims. However, in recent years science has made great strides to reverse the damage done in the past. Scientifically, they have proven that the modern humans began in Africa and our skin color variations are the result of human migrations and melanin. This is just one of the many discoveries of modern science highlighted in the exhibit.

Experientially: There are many examples throughout the exhibit of how race has adversely impacted our daily lives. In a section focusing on "white privilege" they use a tower of money to represent the unequal distribution of wealth in our country based on race. The accompanying text explains these inequities are a direct result of unfair housing laws (redlining) created to keep blacks from buying homes in white communities.

This allowed the value of homes in white neighborhoods to multiply at an alarming rate while the value of homes in black neighborhoods stagnated or declined. Another effect of race classification is the constantly changing titles on census reports which ultimately reinforce the belief that each group is different. Racial misperceptions have led us to make false assumptions about another person's intellect, talent and athletic prowess based on their skin color.

it is anticipated visitors nationwide will have the same reaction Minnesota visitors had when viewing the exhibit--captivating. It is a comprehensive history, science, and cultural studies course combined. But the exhibit's creators' purpose is not solely to educate. Their goal is to open a dialogue that can ultimately lead to change. To that end, the AAA has created an interactive website to accompany the exhibit (understandingrace.org). No doubt some people will find the exhibit challenges their core beliefs about race and will choose to bury their heads in the sand. But I say now is the time to really make changes and this exhibit is a good way to start.