Black history comes alive at UWP
PLATTEVILLE- The lawnmower, traffic signal, ice cream scoop, doorknob, mop, cooking oil, thermostat and pencil sharpener are just some of the items people use every day that were invented by African-Americans. The University of Wisconsin-Platteville hosted a traveling exhibit, Reflections in Black Museum Inc. African-American History on Wheels, on Friday, Feb. 27 in the Nohr Art Gallery in Ullsvik Hall. The exhibit was sponsored by Campus Programming and Relations as part of Black History Month. They plan to bring the exhibit back next year.
"Our goal is to educate people about little known black history. When a lot of people think about black history, they think of people like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, but there were other contributors all around the country. We want to let people know that we (African-Americans) have made contributions to society other than sports. We are educated. We are inventors, teachers, doctors and lawyers," said Clifton Brown, founder and president of Reflections in Black Museum Inc.
The exhibit featured the actual inventions with a plaque citing the name of the inventor and the date the item was invented. Posters, video, photos and news articles gave descriptions of the inventors. Visitors also learned from Brown. He gave additional information about the inventors and told some of his own stories about black history and the civil rights movement.
"I have a lot of stories to tell and I'm here to tell them," said Brown.
He has five other exhibits, which include African-American music, a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. and Juneteenth Black Emancipation Day.
Anyone wanting more information about the exhibit may contact Carl Wesley, Pre-College director and retention coordinator of Multicultural Educational Resource Center at (608) 342-1585 or wesleyc@uwplatt.edu.
Contact: Carl Wesley, Pre-College director and retention coordinator, Multicultural Educational Resource Center, (608) 342-1585, wesleyc@uwplatt.edu Written by: Krystle Kurdi, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, kurdik@uwplatt.edu
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