'Testify' exhibit on race and Black history available to southwest Minnesota libraries

WORTHINGTON — Libraries in the Plum Creek Library System have the opportunity to bring their communities a new exhibit showing the many facets of Black history, from the hard-fought victories of the Civil Rights era to the dehumanizing agonies of slavery.

“Testify: Americana from Slavery to Today,” an exhibit of art and artifacts from the Diane & Alan Page Collection, will be on display at the Minneapolis Central Library, and at the same time, PCLS member libraries will host a large-format photo display of pieces of the show.

Each of the banners features a high-quality photograph of one or more items in the collection and gives its historical background. Each has a QR code helping connect viewers to an audio recording for each banner as well, making it more accessible.

“I’m just thrilled that we got to exhibit parts of the exhibit that way,” said Elizabeth Hoffman, executive director of the Plum Creek Library System, which includes 26 libraries in nine counties, including Nobles, Rock, Jackson, Pipestone, Murray and Cottonwood.

Former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and pro football player Alan Page and his family have an extensive collection of art and artifacts that tell the story of race relations and representation in America, positive and negative. The “Testify” exhibit was first created in 2018, and the Page family decided to bring it back after a tremendous positive response.

Some of the banners are difficult to look at. One shows a variety of historical advertisements featuring racial caricatures, some with demeaning product names. Another is a notice about an 1833 slave auction that included an 11-month-old infant, describing the people for sale as if they were livestock.

Others are triumphant in nature, like a bust of Rosa Parks commemorating her stand against segregated buses in 1955, and a banner showing support for Abraham Lincoln with the slogan “Our country, shall be one country!”

“Our hope, in creating the 'Testify' exhibit in 2018, was that by bearing witness to our country’s past we would learn to better understand the racial divide of the present,” states the banner explaining the idea behind the display. “The artworks and objects on view, drawn from our collection, tell a complicated story of America, one that disrupts the simplified and romanticized accounts many prefer to remember.”

The idea is that acknowledging the unsettling truths of the past will allow for healing, reconciliation and, in the end, a continued movement toward a more just society.

“It was almost overwhelming to look at,” said Rebecca Hudson, office administrator/program coordinator for Plum Creek.

Libraries may choose whether to show the 17-banner traveling display and whether to use all of the banners. While some have already signed up, a complete schedule has not yet been determined.

“We’ll leave it up to the libraries to do what’s best for their communities,” Hoffman said.

After libraries have had a chance to show the exhibit, PCLS hopes to offer the opportunity to other organizations, such as historical societies and schools.

“I think we’re all aware that racism continues to be a problem, and that if we ignore it, it might not get better,” Hoffman said.

“It’s an educational experience,” Hudson added.

The “Testify” exhibit was paid for through the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund, through the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment approved by voters in 2008.

Those who would like to see the exhibit in their local libraries should contact their local library or PCLS, at (507) 376-5803 or ask@plumcreeklibrary.net. The exhibit schedule will be posted when it becomes available.