RACE: Are we so different?
Wednesday 17 January @ 14:47:25 |
 by LIBERTY FINCH
Walking into the Science Museum of Minnesota to view the recently installed exhibit RACE last Monday—on a day dedicated to celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King—was a serendipitous coincidence. Watching the multitude of people act and react to what they were seeing was almost as interesting as the exhibit itself.
This ambitious installation, which makes its world premiere in St. Paul, tackles a big question: RACE: Are We So Different? A project of the American Anthropological Association that received funding from a number of national and regional foundations, this sophisticated exhibit is more than just an interesting display. It’s designed as a multimedia, interactive program that invites visitors to tackle one of the biggest issues in our nation’s, and in our world’s, history.
 A number of stations are set up throughout the exhibit hall. Some feature photography and artifacts, others audio and video clips. Nearly all have some sort of textual message, from chronological timelines, to historical and contemporary facts, to personal contributions from visitors. RACE explores the social, political and economic impacts of race and racism, then goes further to highlight and dispel scientific mythology, such as what's wrong with “The Bell Curve” and whether race affects height (it doesn’t, childhood health and nutrition does) or blood type (no).
Near the entrance to the exhibit, a timeline chronicles the inception of this divisive, man-made construct. It reads, “1500: Europeans see the world as organized by a hierarchy, and begin sorting people of the world into races, establishing a chain of command.” The new world order that took hold in the days of Christopher Columbus and others established a false anthropological hierarchy based on ethnicity that remains to this day.
An educational exhibit of this magnitude is sobering, commanding respect and humility from the viewer. But if it leaves you feeling heavy, why not talk about it? The whole point of RACE is to break down barriers and get people talking, and in fact the Science Museum has included a Talking Circle Room as part of the exhibit. Here, trained facilitators will lead discussions about race that center on the personal experiences of participants. It’s a process borrowed from the Minnesota Department of Corrections in accordance with the ancient native peacekeeping circle tradition. Reservations for the Talking Circle Room are required, but that doesn't mean you can't strike up a conversation with the person standing next to you.
The Hapa Project is a gripping and amusing part of the installation. “Hapa” was originally a derogatory label derived from the Hawaiian word for “half,” but it’s since been embraced as a term of pride by many of mixed race, especially those of Asian or Pacific Island decent. In this series of photographs, Kip Fulbeck shoots each subject-men, women and children of various ages, ethnicities and walks of life from across the United States—from the collarbone up, stripping away clothing, glasses, jewelry, heavy makeup or purposeful expressions. He captures their images, and then asks them one simple question: Who are you? The answers, of course, are as varied as the individuals. Each appears below the image in the subject’s own handwriting. One young boy’s rough scrawl reads, “I’m a very little boy in 5th grade that has no frands.” An older man states, “Happy to be Hawaiian, there’s not many of us left.” Below the Hapa Project is a three-ring notebook, a stack of index cards and pencils. Viewers are invited to respond to the same question—Who are you?—and add their card to the notebook. One participant, Chauncy, writes, “1 pound German, 1 tbs. Swedish, 1 tbs. Norwegian, 1 c. Tolerance, 2 c. Acceptance, [infinity symbol] Love.”
Locals will recognize the work of Wing Young Huie, whose black and white photography is scattered throughout the exhibit. Huie specializes in documenting the diverse cultural landscape of the Twin Cities, and his work fits nicely here. In the oversized photo of White, Black and Asian urban youth, dressed up and standing in front of a limo to celebrate their middle school graduation in 1997, Huie has this to say: “These kids had been classmates for years. This photo is remarkable to me because of how unselfconscious they are about race. A photo like this could not have been taken until the 1990s I don't think. It's an example of the generational changes taking place in the U.S.” ||
RACE: Are We So Different? runs through May 6 at the Science Museum of Minnesota, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. 651-221-9444.
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