An American Inheritance: The Story of Racist Memorabilia

Wisconsin Black Historical Society/Museum (WBHSM) and America’s Black Holocaust Museum (ABHM) have joined together to create An American Inheritance: The Story of Racist Memorabilia in Wisconsin and the U.S.

This exhibit highlights some difficult images in the hopes that people of all backgrounds gain a better understanding of the legacy of racist imagery. Our hope is that this exhibit creates a space for convening courageous conversations about racism, while providing necessary context and history for ongoing debates about what to do with these artifacts.

By bringing together expertise, collections, and community perspectives, the goal of the exhibit is not to sensationalize racist artifacts, but to provide historical context and examine how racist imagery was deliberately created to dehumanize African Americans and uphold systems of oppression.

Both museums are frequently contacted by people asking if we will take their inherited racist artifacts. Other times, these items are mailed to us or left on our doorsteps without any contact information. We hope that displaying these artifacts will provide opportunities for people to confront and unpack racist attitudes they may have subconsciously inherited. It also presents an opportunity for visitors to understand what, how, and why museums collect these items.

The exhibit will be on display at WBHSM from 9/1/26 to 12/31/26 and will move to ABHM after that.

There will be associated programming, curriculum, guided tours, and virtual components that will accompany the exhibition at both locations.