
- This event has passed.
Cargill Hall at Minneapolis Central Library. Inspired by the recent resurgence of racial tension in our country, TESTIFY gives context and definition to the conversation, serving as a reminder of the history that brings us to today. “Before reconciliation there must be truth – and the truth can be ugly,” said Justice Page. “But we cannot be reconciled and move forward if an increasingly louder group of people continue to deflect, minimize and sweep history under the rug.”
TESTIFY’S message of hope
“At a time when the past seems ever more present, the 100-plus objects in the exhibit will juxtapose artifacts from our often-painful, shared history with inspiring imagery and works of art that help us rise above it,” said Diane Page. “My hope is that by coming to grips with our past we can come together in the future.” Objects in the exhibit include:- A slave collar used in Virginia in the 1820s. This brutal artifact is a sharp contrast to the irreverent depictions of slaves that soon flooded into popular culture.
- An Abraham Lincoln funeral banner from 1865. The declaration “Our Country Shall Be One Country” greeted the funeral procession as it carried the slain president across the country.
- Works by Carrie Mae Weems, Charles White and Clementine Hunter, which reclaim the African-American narrative and reflect a strong, specific and beautiful history of self-representation.