Visit the MSU Library “Sorting Out Race” Exhibit to Explore Racial Bias

The “Sorting Out Race” exhibit features 130 artifacts that display racial imagery, all sourced from thrift store donations. Upon entering, one will find images ranging from lightly insensitive to fiercely malicious. A ‘mammy’ doll, which historically depicted black women as docile, smiling maids, stands in a glass case alongside an old Aunt Jemima poster. Another glass case displays an array of ‘sleeping mexican’ trinkets. 

A wealth of historical context and insight is provided alongside the objects, serving to stimulate community discussion. 

On loan from the Kauffman Museum at Bethel College in Kansas, the traveling exhibit is held in the campus library and is available for viewing during the library’s open hours through Sept. 28. 

The exhibit seeks to reckon with the racist images that are deeply ingrained in the history of American pop culture, exploring questions like: how do we counter the dismissive attitude that ‘everything is offensive to someone, sometime, somewhere?.’ Who reclaims stereotypes and why?

For some students, the devastating and lasting impact of these images will be clear — perhaps they’ve faced firsthand the jabs of a society clouded by stereotypes or even recognize some of these objects and attitudes from their family’s homes. For other students, the disturbing stereotypes depicted may come as a shock. 

Though it may feel new and uncomfortable, every single member of our community must practice the hard work of beginning to understand the institutional impact of race in the U.S. Visiting the exhibit is a great way to start.

The work that this exhibit is doing is important for many reasons. For one, harmful stereotypes and racist imagery still drag down American society today. Many of the objects on display are from the 1990s and early 2000s. Students in their early or mid 20s might remember seeing a popular YouTuber Shane Dawson's blackface videos or the racist memes that used to pervade the internet and infiltrate young minds. Faculty members and more mature students may also recall the impact Long Duk Dong from “Sixteen Candles” had on school children in the mid-80s. 

In fact, when I told my grandma I was writing this story, she told me about the box of ‘mammy’ collectibles that my cousin keeps hidden away in a closet. These collectibles were displayed in her late husband’s childhood home.

The truth is, when surrounded by these images, we all develop prejudice that we must overcome. When we free our minds from dismissive and dubious perceptions of others, we become wiser and our world begins to feel more open. 

The oppressive conditions that the objects on display worked to enforce also simply weren’t that long ago. The Civil Rights Act that ended segregation was only passed 59 years ago. In fact, many people in America are old enough to vividly remember what life was like during segregation — including President Joe Biden and nearly half of our Senate, according to CNN.

Too many people are still reeling from the effects of unjust anti-drug laws passed just 37 short years ago that used the prison system to target lower-class minorities. The Japanese internment camps from World War II ended only 77 years ago. 

“I haven’t heard any negative feedback,” MSU librarian and Academic Diversity Partner Brian Rossman said. He was instrumental in bringing the Sorting Out Race exhibit to our campus. “We did have some whiteboards out where people could leave comments and they were all pretty much positive."

The fact is, around 93% of our students and 91% of our faculty are white, according to a 2022 report from MSU’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Many of us may have never had the chance to learn about the racial complexities of American society. This is something we all must learn in order to be the most informed, responsible citizens we can be. Creating informed, responsible citizens is one of the biggest goals of a college environment. It's vital that everyone knows about this exhibit and the importance of stepping in with an open mind.

“MSU is not the most racially diverse campus. I think we can admit that, right?” Rossman said. “And so, I think this is a way for us to engage the community in having a conversation around some of these issues which maybe we don’t discuss as much or are not as aware of as people might be on other campuses in the country. It’s just an opportunity to encourage people to start thinking about some of these important issues.”

MSU has to work a lot harder than historically black universities and more diverse schools in order to ensure students have a fair chance at understanding our country’s sociopolitical landscape. Holding art exhibits like this one and inviting diverse speakers — like the event with poet and activist Javier Zamora that occurred on Tuesday Sept. 19 — shows that we’re ready to do the work. I’m proud of the work we’re doing, and I sincerely hope to see it continue. 

If you have any questions, concerns, or want to get involved with culturally diverse events on campus, please contact the University’s Academic Diversity Partners by visiting www.montana.edu/diversity/data/adp.html or stop into the Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons in Room 185 in the Strand Union Building. These are valuable resources for students and are available specifically to help you feel safe and welcomed.