The History Museum at The Castle will open its distinctive doors once again on Friday after its closure in wake of the covid-19 pandemic.
One of its well-travelled pop-up exhibits is bound to gain new attention as our region and country examines the ongoing scourge of racism and pushes for change.
“A Stone of Hope: Black Experiences in the Fox Cities” will await museum visitors this weekend along with a host of other exhibits. Yet all of us can explore that important and often difficult local history online — and it’s well worth the virtual visit.
It’s one of four virtual exhibits available at The History Museum’s website. Each has traveled to a variety of locations throughout the Fox Cities before covid-19 reached our vocabularies.
With the pandemic at hand, the next stop is your laptop.
As we press for a better future, it’s crucial that we understand our past.
Through photos and text, “A Stone of Hope” explores some of the earliest black residents of the Fox Cities. It explores the region as a place of opportunity following the Civil War.
It wouldn’t last.
The exhibit walks visitors through an era of discrimination, Ku Klux Klan recruitment and sundown practices.
It turns to a story of gains and of hope — and as the last several weeks have shown, it’s a story that is still being written.
For those clamoring to get out of the house, the History Museum will be open to the public Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the summer.
They’ll play it safe as we travel through these historic times.
For the sake of precaution, visitors will be required to register at the front desk, wear cloth masks, maintain social distance and wash or sanitize their hands frequently.
