Impressed by Your Museum

***The staff of the Jim Crow Museum receives dozens of letters and emails. Some of these communiques offer insight into race relations -- historically and in the present. While some are hateful, we have decided to share some of these letters and emails with our Internet visitors.***

Greetings. I am an Associate Professor of Psychology at Curry College (a small private liberal arts college just south of Boston). A couple months ago, I just happened to come across the website about your Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery, and wanted to tell you how really impressed I am. In fact, I'm so fascinated by it that I bookmarked the page and it view practically each day. The students at Ferris State University are very fortunate to have this museum, and (to tell you the truth), I think all colleges should have something like that.

Dr. Pilgrim, the reason I am writing to you is because, for some time, I have been considering doing something like this here at Curry College. I teach a course here entitled "Stereotypes and Prejudice," and, as someone who is deeply interested in this topic, I would like to do anything I could to get more people interested in it (typically, I have found that students know very, very little about much of anything having to do with Jim Crow, and I find this troubling). Thus, I was wondering if you might have any advice or suggestions about how I might go about establishing a similar kind of "museum" here at my college? That is, I was wondering if you might have some suggestions as to how I might be able to secure funding for such a project, where we might be able to purchase some Jim Crow memorabilia (e.g., "Coon Chicken Inn" menus, things like that), and any other information you feel might be helpful.

I would imagine that you probably get requests like this quite a bit....if so, I apologize for the additional burden. However, please understand that I am in no way intending to "steal the spotlight" from your own Jim Crow museum (my proposed little museum would not be anywhere near the level of yours). Rather, I care deeply about the quality of all students' education, and I feel that our students (and the community) would really benefit from something like this. Thus, I would be very grateful for any suggestions you may have.

Thank you for taking the time to read my message, Dr. Pilgrim. I hope all is well, and I look forward to hearing from you whenever you have a chance.

Warm regards,

Curry College.
-- Nov. 13, 2006