At the center of the Kinsey Collection lies a stone. It is no larger than a brick, it is weathered with age, and it seems like it could have come from anywhere. But once you know the history of the stone, it’s significance becomes profound. It was taken from the wall of a “Slave House” on Goree Island, near Senegal, where 18th century men, women, and children began their devastating journey across the Middle Passage into slavery in the Western Hemisphere.
Partially an art exhibit and partially an accumulation of artifacts, “The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey” is on display now through May 1 at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The Kinseys began collecting as a means to learn more about their African-American heritage and to help preserve their history. With a broad assortment of pieces that span centuries, cultures, and mediums, the collection is at once aesthetically pleasing and harrowingly informative
The exhibit is organized chronologically, so viewers begin in Africa and follow slaves across the Middle Passage into America. It then tracks the progress of African-Americans through the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, and concludes with the modern day. The tale is sometimes unsettling, but ends on an uplifting, celebratory note.
Gayle Hubbard’s “First Vote,” an 1867 illustration from Harper’s Weekly, embodies a sense of hope in a turbulent time. In the drawing, proud African-American men wait in line to exercise their newly-earned right to vote, while a white tallyman looks on contemptuously. The American flag, which hangs above the voting booth and spans the top of the drawing, evokes American pride and patriotism even in the modern-day viewer.
Equally powerful, though very different in medium and message, is “A Slave Carrying Her Fate in Her Hands.” Crinkled and yellowed with age, the framed letter is surprisingly legible despite being written in 1854. The letter, carried by a slave named Frances and written by her owner, details the transfer of Frances’ ownership from its writer to its recipient. An accompanying plaque explains that while Frances delivered this letter, she had no knowledge that she was being sold and separated from her family. Seeing the actual, handwritten letter makes the tragedy of the event all the more real.
Moving forward, the “Freedom Struggles” section of the exhibit displays artifacts from the Civil Rights Movement. One of the more notable pieces is a large white picket sign with the words “Honor King: End Racism” written defiantly in black marker. Such signs were common in the marches following Martin Luther King’s assassination, and provide a powerful example of the politically charged atmosphere of the time.
The Kinsey Collection provides a cross-section of African-American culture that is both emotional and informative. More than mere works of art, the exhibit’s treasures speak volumes about the larger story of American development, and the profound influence that African-Americans have had on that development.
