Teaching Tolerance through Objects of Hatred: The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia as “Counter-Museum”

Abstract

In the last two decades, scholars and practitioners of what has come to be known as the “New Museology” have questioned and challenged many of the traditions upon which museum practice has been based. The exclusion of underrepresented groups in museum collections, exhibits, and staffrooms has come under increasing scrutiny, as have curatorial authority, classificatory and exhibitionary practices, and the relationship between museums and the publics they serve. Within a competitive economy of potential visitors’ time, money, and interest, contemporary museums have found themselves forced to democratize their institutions and enliven exclusive and stuffy atmospheres as a means of appealing to broader publics. Despite the rigorous dialog that has been generated in academic, practitioner, and public circles, too often a separation remains between museum theory and practice. Should they wish to survive, today’s museums must manage simultaneously to fulfill multiple roles for mixed constituencies.