Age Of Jim Crow Exhibit Opens At Bullock State History Museum

Austin TX

18 June, 2021

10:00 AM

Description

AUSTIN, TX — A traveling exhibition that sheds light on the 'age of Jim Crow' will open at Bullock Texas State History Museum on Juneteenth, officials said. The exhibit "Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow" will open Saturday at the downtown Austin museum at 1800 Congress Avenue. It will be on display through November 28. The traveling exhibit explores the national struggle Black Americans faced for full citizenship and racial equality that unfolded in the 50 years after the Civil War, museum officials said. "We are in a time of examining the root causes of inequality in order to create a better and more equitable future, said Bullock Museum Director Margaret Koch. "This exhibition helps provide the foundation for those seeking a stronger understanding of not just the injustices of our past, but how disenfranchised citizens remained resilient and moved the country forward." "Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow" centers on stories of African Americans who pursued the ideals of Reconstruction and persevered in the face of a developing legal system promoting racial inequality, officials said. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the ways African Americans continued to push for equal rights during the rise of Jim Crow, while simultaneously being disenfranchised and disempowered, authorities said. Artifacts in the exhibition will include an 1850s ballot box, Burroughs adding machine, a Jim Crow segregated bus sign, a portrait of Dred Scott, an enslaved man from Missouri who sued for his freedom; and the Pullman porter hat. "We are proud to bring this poignant and powerful exhibition to Texas," said Koch. "We hope to offer a safe space that is based on historical records to have conversations and dialogue about divisive aspects of our history so that we can continue the journey towards a more perfect union." For more information on the exhibit, visit Bullock Texas State History Museum's website.