The New-York Historical Society announced plans Wednesday to dedicate permanent space to exhibits focused on freedom, equality and civil rights in America.
“Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow” will open Sept. 7 in the Society’s recently renovated galleries, and run through March 2019. Future shows will include spotlights on acclaimed sculptor Augusta Savage, who was part of the Harlem Renaissance, as well as the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising.
“Establishing these dedicated spaces throughout the museum builds on our long and sustained record of exhibitions and programs around the history of America’s diversity,” Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of the New-York Historical Society said in a statement. “Above all, this landmark initiative responds to our deep conviction that telling the story of American history is important, but that it is inadequately known, taught, and understood today.”
“Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow” follows efforts by African-Americans from the end of the Civil War to the end of World War I to advocate for their rights. The exhibit includes such artifacts as a copy of the 13th Amendment — signed by President Abraham Lincoln — shackles cut from the ankles of a 17-year-old slave named Mary Horn, and an 1892 pamphlet by activist Ida B. Wells called “Southern Horrors” that detailed hundreds of lynchings and demanded justice.
