March 6, 2024

Ferris State’s David Pilgrim to discuss mission of Jim Crow Museum at event sponsored by Gerald R. Ford and Barack Obama presidential libraries

David Pilgrim, Ferris State University’s vice president for Diversity, Inclusion, and Strategic Initiatives, will share the mission of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery at an event sponsored by The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum and the Barack Obama Presidential Library.

The event is planned for Thursday, March 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, 303 Pearl Street St. NW in Grand Rapids. The discussion is open to the public and will be livestreamed and recorded. Admission is free.

Pilgrim is the founder of the Jim Crow Museum, the nation's most extensive publicly accessible collection of artifacts of intolerance. The museum, located on Ferris State’s Big Rapids campus, contextualizes the impact of Jim Crow laws and customs and uses objects of intolerance to teach tolerance and promote a more just society.

“The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery is my life’s work,” Pilgrim said. “I’m excited for the opportunity to share the museum's mission and work with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, here in the heart of West Michigan, and with the Barack Obama Presidential Library. I am grateful for the opportunity to help lead discussions about the history and future of racial relations in our nation.”

Attendees will have the unique opportunity to engage with Pilgrim in an inclusive setting, posing questions and delving deeper into the history of racist imagery and artifacts of intolerance.

"We are honored to welcome Dr. Pilgrim to the Ford Museum as a guest speaker for our first collaborative event with the Barack Obama Presidential Library," said Brooke Clement, director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and acting director of the Barack Obama Presidential Library. "We are fortunate to have him on location where he will be able to share his expertise and passion on the history of the African- American experience in America."

The Jim Crow Museum, with a 20,000-piece collection of racist artifacts, is located on Ferris State’s Big Rapids Campus. A traveling exhibit, “Overcoming Hateful Things,” is on display at Wayne County Community College District’s Downtown Campus, tentatively through August.

Pilgrim is the author of Understanding Jim Crow, Watermelons, Nooses, and Straight Razors, and Haste to Rise, written with Franklin Hughes. He has lectured at institutions across the country including Stanford University, the University of Michigan, Smith College, and the University of North Carolina.

This event will also be streamed online through Zoom and recorded on the Barack Obama Presidential Library YouTube page for those who want to attend remotely.

For more information about the event, please visit www.obamalibrary.gov or www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov.