Jump on Board! RACE Moves to Wichita, Kansas
Faster than you can say, “All Aboard!” the American Anthropological Association’s “RACE: Are We So Different” traveling exhibition is moving to Wichita, Kansas. The award-winning exhibition opens on September 22, 2007 at Exploration Place in Wichita, where it will remain until January 1, 2008.
As the second stop on a five-year, cross-country tour of 13 US cities, the move to Exploration Place brings a whole new audience the opportunity to discover the groundbreaking exhibit. More than 500,000 people have visited the RACE exhibit and website since January 2007. "We hope the exhibit in Wichita will reach underserved racial and ethnic communities in innovative and creative ways. There’s something for everyone in this exhibit. It’s designed to keep you talking and coming back for more information,” said Yolanda Moses, advisory board chair of the RACE project.
The exhibit, developed with the Science Museum of Minnesota, explores the history, science and lived experience of race and racism in the United States. By using interactive exhibit components, historical artifacts, iconic objects, compelling photographs and multimedia presentations, RACE, conveys three core messages:
“Scientific data clearly show that as a description of human genetic variation, ‘race’ is too imprecise and too flawed to continue to be used. However, institutional racism is real and reflected in gross inequalities in health and wealth,” said AAA President Alan Goodman. The exhibition arrives in Wichita from its stay at the Charles Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan.
The exhibit was launched at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul January 10, 2007. Following its tenure at Exploration Place, RACE will travel to the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey. The popular exhibit is booked until 2012.
Located in a 20-acre site along the scenic Arkansas River, Exploration Place is Kansas’ premier Science Center. The museum offers visitors of all ages interactive exhibits, Kansas’ largest domed theater—the CyberDome, imaginative spaces and outdoor recreation.
"RACE: Are We So Different?" is part of a larger public education program developed over five years with $4 million in funding from the Ford Foundation, the National Science Foundation and the AAA. The program includes the 5,000 square foot RACE exhibition, an interactive website, www.understandingRACE.org, and educational materials.
