As part of its ongoing inclusiveness initiative, and in celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., Saint Anselm College is presenting the exhibit Facing Prejudice Everyday, located in the Dana Center Lobby. The exhibit will remain on display through February 27.
Facing Prejudice Everyday addresses how prejudice affects daily life in ordinary ways. Six, eight-foot-tall kiosks are filled with images and history to explore such themes as prejudice and tolerance, violence and pain, insider and outsider perspectives, and hate speech and communication.
Stories from Jews in Nazi Germany, the Japanese-American internment during World War II and Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball are among those used to help bring these themes to life for exhibit goers.
“We are very lucky to be hosting this exhibit for a significant period of time,” said Yemi Mahoney, director of the Multicultural Center at Saint Anselm College. “Facing Prejudice Everyday is thought provoking and very informative. It does an excellent job of highlighting some of the complexities involved with the prejudices and stereotypes that exist in all human beings. It is my hope that it encourages people to think about these issues, engage in rich dialogue, and ultimately take action in their own personal lives.”
The exhibition is the brainchild of 28 seniors at the University of Cincinnati College of Design Architecture, Art and Planning. None of them had experienced prejudice and discrimination themselves, so they spent a year researching the issue before presenting the themes in the installation art show that now travels the country.
Developed for an audience of teens and young adults, the exhibition promotes tolerance in positive, ethical applications, valuing diversity, critical thinking, and open-mindedness.
The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration that also included The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education, Hebrew Union College and the Jewish Institute of Religion.