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[Posted Jan. 30, 2008]
VSU Art Exhibit
Explores Jim Crow’s
“Hateful Things”
In celebration of Black History month, Virginia State University (VSU) will host “Hateful Things,” a two-week traveling art exhibit, beginning Monday, Feb. 11. The evening’s events will begin in Virginia Hall at 4:30 p.m. with a book signing by published authors from the VSU History Department and a keynote address by Civil Rights activist Dr. William Strickland. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for the exhibit in the Meredith Art Gallery, Harris Hall at 7:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.
The 39-piece, traveling exhibition contains pictures, signs and items from the late 19th century to the present that embody the terrible effects of Jim Crow. The disturbing objects in “Hateful Things” give viewers a glimpse of past and present-day images of racial stereotyping and stimulate the examination of historical and contemporary expressions of racism, as a means to promote racial understanding and healing.
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“By using this art exhibit to look at a small slice of history, we hope to stir emotions in the human spirit to create a positive dialogue about issues of race, class, gender, and education,” said David Bejou, Dean of the School of Business at VSU.
In addition to items from popular and commercial culture, the traveling exhibit also contains images of violence against African-Americans as well as the Civil Rights struggle for racial equality.
“The exhibit and its dark images serve as historical reminders to empower not just the VSU student body, but also the surrounding central Virginia community,” said Dr. Wesley Hogan, Co-Director of the Institute for the Study of Race Relations (ISRR).
“By hosting this exhibit, Virginia State University and its academic resources are working together to promote a greater understanding of race and race relations while also effectively addressing the historical consequences of Jim Crow.”
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