RACE Exhibit & Programming

A Partnership of WMU and KVCC

October 2, 2010 to late January, 2011

Overview

Western Michigan University and KVCC have partnered to bring the new national touring exhibit “RACE: Are We So Different?” to Kalamazoo. Each institution has already made a financial commitment toward the loan of the exhibit, which will be hosted by the Kalamazoo Valley Museum in Fall 2010. Admission to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum is always free to the public and school groups.

Goal

WMU has taken leadership on developing educational programming and public outreach to precede and accompany the exhibit. Although the exhibit will be in Kalamazoo for four months, our goal, in keeping with our mission as a public university, is to seize this opportunity to reach out to the diverse constituencies of this region and stimulate broad-based, productive community dialogue on issues of race, diversity, tolerance, and social justice. We hope to develop programming that will not only stimulate interest in the exhibit, but also contribute to developing lasting discussion, knowledge, and initiatives in the community.

WMU goals:

Community leadership & vision
Improve ties to community, region
Build institutional commitment to diversity
Teach commitment to, critical analysis of & involvement in social justice
Showcase WMU & Kalamazoo

Plans

To this end, we envision wide-ranging programming on campus, at the museum, and in the community, to include speakers, panel discussions, performances and art exhibits that will attract a diverse public. We wish to develop educational materials, workshops, and special “dialogues on race” workshops for teachers, upper-elementary through secondary students, and other groups attending the exhibit, perhaps modeling the latter on the Science Museum of Minnesota’s very successful “talking circles” program. We hope to tap into and provide additional support for already existing community-wide racial and social justice initiatives and to draw upon the expertise and perspectives of a wide range of local institutions and organizations. We are seeking people and organizations that want to be involved!

Planning Ideas

We are seeking campus- and community-wide involvement in planning programming to precede, coincide with, and hopefully last beyond the exhibit’s visit to Kalamazoo.

Planning is already underway. We are at the brainstorming stage and are beginning to reach out across campus and into the community for ideas, expertise, and energy.

We hope to develop programming based on local interest and talent to include the following components:

WMU-campus race & diversity initiative
Public education & outreach into public & private schools in the region
Opportunities for community dialogues on race and social justice
Opportunities for anti-racism, diversity, and social justice training
Fine and performing arts programming
Synergy with existing organizations and efforts to educate ourselves about race, racism, and social justice

Background:

American Anthropological Association Race Initiative (since 1997)
NSF & Ford foundation-funded
Science Museum of Minnesota (opened 1/10/07) Web site
National tour (Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit in summer 2007)