Glenn is intrigued by the photograph of unnamed workers who built the Nelson-Atkins. Think about other stories that might be outside our “official” record of history. What might change about our understanding of the world if we knew those kinds of stories?
Who are the “Charlie Parkers” of your community that you might not know about? How might you get to know aspects of local culture and history that are unfamiliar to you? If you’re local to Kansas City, check out historian Erik Stafford’s bus tour, the American Jazz Museum, the Black Archives of Mid-America, or the Mattie Rhodes Center to learn more about local history through the lens of communities of color.
How can museums and other cultural institutions change the perception that they are “for” some people but not others?
What was your reaction to hearing about Chiluba Musonda’s experience with a white visitor in the 30 Americans exhibition?