"Understanding the fifties can help us better understand the present. The choices Americans make today are based in large part on the choices of Americans who preceded us. We can take a step toward understanding their choices by studying their family and educational life, their values and lifestyles--by trying to see their world as they saw it. If we can do all this, we may be able to see more clearly the differences and the similarities between their world and ours. We may also come to understand our world a little better."
While the exhibit is titled "Afro-American Life in the Fifties", in truth it encompassed a much longer period of time. This exhibit contained artifacts and information ranging from the end of World War II all the way to the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. All of these stories were compiled to provide a more complete picture of African-American life during this time. By illuminating this piece of the past, visitors to the museum were given insight into the rarely seen day-to-day lives of African-Americans.
A time of prosperity and hope, the fifties were a turning point in African-American history. It marked the first time when integration and equality seemed to be not only a possibility, but on the horizon. Though it would not be easy, African-Americans would persevere until the changes they wished to see became realities.
The exhibit included cultural aspects of the African-American community, as well. These included: education, music, entertainment, and sports. By showcasing the diversity of the African-American experience, this exhibit painted a picture of an average, everyday family and the social aspects that affected their lives.
This long-term, beloved exhibit helped to perpetuate interest in this pivotal time in the lives of African-Americans.
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