Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow exhibit review

 

Over the course of this semester, we discussed public history in great detail by identifying what it is and where we see it. We can see history being made available and accessible to the public through a museums and exhibits. These exhibits educate the public about different parts of our history. The goal is to spread knowledge on a variety of historical subjects, making historical research understandable and available to the public. While there are many museums and exhibits that are visited frequently in person there are also online versions of these exhibits and some that are made to be viewed only online. The “Black Citizenship in the age of Jim Crow” online exhibit by made by the New York Historical Museum and society is what I will be reviewing.

As the name indicates this particular exhibit goes over the history of Black citizenship after the Civil War during reconstruction and the Jim crow period. When first clicking on the exhibit there is a small summary about what the exhibit will be about, what time periods will be discussed and the different ways that you can view the exhibit in this online format. There is a focus on images, and it allows you to view these images in two ways, normally section by section as you read through the exhibit or if you want more detail they can be clicked on for more detail with a 360 view to look at the image and the area around it. I found this frequent usage of images helpful as it enhanced my understanding of the written material through the visuals. The variety of ways to view the images also made the exhibit better as it allows the viewer to see the images clearer and it lessens the possible disconnect that can happen as its not being viewed in person. The images made it feel like the in-person exhibit was just transferred online rather than it feeling distant.

In going through this exhibit, it felt like the intended audience was people who weren’t aware of the history of African American struggle after the Civil War. The written portions of the exhibit were detailed but the information was condensed. It was written very concisely with background provided about African American history leading up to the Civil War and the events afterword’s. The information was clear and easy to understand because of the organization of the written parts mixed in with the visual aids. Each page was broken up into time periods post-Civil war. On each of these pages the different issues and events that concerned black citizenship and equality during that time were discussed.  A vast number of topics regarding US history and the African American struggle were discussed after the background that was provided in the beginning of the exhibit. A Page was dedicated to exploring the reconstruction period from 1865 to 1877 discussing the progress that was made during this time like African Americans gaining the right to citizenship and the impact that freedom from slavery had on them at the time. After this there were sections about the rise of Jim Crow from 1877 to 1900 and Challenging Jim Crow in the early 1900’s specifically from 1900-1919 which went over the achievements made by African American thinkers, innovators and creators that helped challenge Jim Crow Era discrimination. There was also a section that detailed the Atlanta University Complex going over the history and importance of the city of Atlanta and the schools and universities that were created by African Americans in the years after the Civil war as well as a page dedicated to the significance of art as a form of protest. The written material provided to educate the audience along with the images throughout the exhibit were great and helpful creating a better understanding if the subject matter

Overall, I thought the exhibit was great. It was constructed well, and I think it accomplishes its goal. The formatting and the way the material was presented was very helpful in trying to learn and enhance my knowledge on the subject being discussed. I think that the approach that was taken when interpreting the past and writing about it was good. In reading the material it seemed like it was written with the intention of truthfully and clearly detailing the history of African Americans and their struggle of equality in the United States. This along with the images that were provided gives viewers a great account of this part of US history. The actual content of the exhibit was very in depth and provided great insight into the time periods that were discussed. I think the formatting and presentation of the material, the approach that was taken in interesting the history, and the actual content itself come together to successfully educate the intended audience. This audience seems to be those who don’t know about the time after the Civil War and what it meant for African Americans. I think that the writing being clear along with the amazing content and formatting allows this exhibit to work well for the intended audience. 

Works Cited 

 https://blackcitizenship.nyhistory.org/the-atlanta-university-complex/