Renowned author Dr. David Pilgrim, one of the nation's leading experts on diversity, equity, and race relations issues, will lead a special joint Presidential library program
GRAND RAPIDS, MI
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum and the Barack Obama Presidential Library proudly announce that esteemed author Dr. David Pilgrim will visit the Gerald R. Ford Museum as a guest speaker for an exclusive event. Scheduled for Thursday, March 28, at 6:30 p.m., this event is open to the public and will be livestreamed and recorded.
During the event, Dr. Pilgrim will share the mission of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery, the nation's most extensive publicly accessible collection of artifacts of intolerance. The museum contextualizes the dreadful impact of Jim Crow laws and customs and uses objects of intolerance to teach tolerance and promote a more just society. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to engage with Dr. Pilgrim in an inclusive setting, posing questions and delving deeper into the history of racist imagery and artifacts of intolerance.
Dr. Pilgrim is a highly regarded expert in race studies in America. He is best known as the founder and director of the Jim Crow Museum, a 20,000-piece collection of racist artifacts at Ferris State University, where he also serves as Vice President for Diversity, Inclusion, and Strategic Initiatives. He is the author of Understanding Jim Crow (PM Press, 2015), Watermelons, Nooses, and Straight Razors (PM Press, 2017), and Haste to Rise (with Franklin Hughes, PM Press,2020). Dr. Pilgrim has garnered widespread acclaim for lectures at dozens of institutions, including Stanford University, the University of Michigan, Smith College, and the University of North Carolina.
"We are honored to welcome Dr. Pilgrim to the Ford Museum as a guest speaker for our first collaborative event with the Barack Obama Presidential Library," said Brooke Clement, director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and acting director of the Barack Obama Presidential Library. "We are fortunate to have him on location where he will be able to share his expertise and passion on the history of the African- American experience in America."
The event is open to the public, and admission is free of charge. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure seats for an evening of learning and discovering new perspectives and experiences. This event will also be streamed online through Zoom and recorded on the Barack Obama Presidential Library YouTube page for those who want to attend remotely.
For more information about the event, please visit www.geraldrfordfoundation.org/events/dr-pilgrim
About the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum
Opened to the public in September 1981, the Gerald R. Ford Museum allows visitors to experience highlights from the lives of President Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States (1974–1977), and his wife, Betty Ford. The museum exhibits teach democratic citizenship and allow for quiet reflection. In addition to the permanent exhibits, changing temporary exhibits draws artifacts from partner museums nationwide. Part of the presidential library system of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), a federal agency, the Ford Museum is near the Pew Campus of Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Ford Library is located on the north campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. For more information, visit www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov
About the Barack Obama Presidential Library
The Barack Obama Presidential Library is the 14th Presidential library administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), a federal agency. Unlike other Presidential libraries administered by NARA, the Obama Presidential Library is the first fully digital Presidential library and will not be open to the public. An estimated 95 percent of the Presidential records of the Obama administration were born digital, such as photos, videos, word-processing documents, tweets, emails, and other standard digital formats. NARA also received approximately 30 million pages of unclassified paper Presidential records. For more information, visit www.obamalibrary.gov
About the National Archives
The National Archives and Records Administration is the nation's record keeper. It safeguards and manages the official records of the U.S. Government, ensuring the documentation of our nation's history. For more information, visit www.archives.gov.
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For Obama Library media inquiries, please email Public Affairs Specialist Susan VanBoening at susan.vanboening@nara.gov.
For Ford Library and Museum media inquiries, please email Public Affairs Specialist Andrea Mantakounis at andrea.mantakounis@nara.gov.