Proposal for an exhibit aimed at the NAACP. Juneteenth, Voting act 1965

Competencies

In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competencies:

• Synthesize the analyses of multiple sources
• Apply historical inquiry to the analysis of an event
• Articulate the significance of historical research to contemporary audiences

Scenario

A visit to a history exhibit is like stepping back in time, with one foot in the past and one foot in the present. A museum exhibit on a historical event showcases artifacts from earlier times that help us understand how society got to where we are today. Of course, these exhibits did not arrive at the museum on their own, ready for display! It is up to the historian or curator who creates the exhibit to choose artifacts that tell a story about how people experienced events at a particular time and place. Through the selection of artifacts and the writing of their descriptions, the historian makes these connections.

This project is an opportunity to create an exhibit of your own about a historical topic that interests you. You will develop a proposal to show to a historical society or cultural association for an exhibit that presents a contemporary perspective on a historical event based on your research. The proposal will explain how this topic will tie into current events and be meaningful for a contemporary audience.

What to Submit

To complete this project, you must submit the following:

Write your Project, a Historical Organization Exhibit Proposal, with the historical society or cultural association as your audience.

Topic: Juneteenth and the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Two artifacts for the exhibit:

1. Emancipation Proclamation: I want to give prominence to this artifact as a representative of the historical meaning of Juneteenth: it represents the moment when enslaved Africans in Texas were first to know they were emancipated (Byers, 2018).This paper enables the assertion of the first step to freedom for the people of African origin. And this is only the prelude to the complete abolition of slavery in the United States.
2. Voting Rights Act of 1965: This T-shirt shows why the right to vote for black people was very significant for the whole community. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a fundamental law whose target was to remove illegal verdicts in judicial bodies at the state and local levels that discriminated against African Americans and made them lose a constitutional right to vote (Moore William, 2022). This item thus crystallizes the relevance of the ongoing fight for civil and voting rights and the need to uphold equal voting opportunities.

The hardest part of the proposal creation process is undoubtedly narrowing down my choices of the artifacts that best represent the essence of these days. The events of these two eras in history and culture have a substantial impact. Hence, I intend to make the things I present to the visitors show this influence to reflect the depth of the events.

My proposed exhibit is relevant in today’s society by drawing attention to the ongoing experience of the struggle to gain justice, freedom, and equality for African Americans, which still happens. The exhibit uses Juneteenth and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as examples to emphasize the historical change in the quest for civil rights and reminds us about this fight being only partially achieved and requiring more work The exhibition is highly relevant and timely given the recent concerns regarding voting rights and social justice. It serves as a crucial local display that aspires to present a fresh perspective on the ongoing narrative within our society.Furthermore, the exhibition represents an educational and mindful step of the past towards more encouragement to take action for change in the current time and future.

References

Byers, A. (2018). The Emancipation Proclamation. Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC.

Moore, William V. (2022). Voting Rights Act of 1965. (Vol. 2537). Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2022. (Original work published 2022)