Fresno State Library
"Sorting Out Race" Exhibition
Please join the Fresno State Henry Madden Library Diversity Committee and the President’s Commission on Human Relations and Equity as we explore a new gallery exhibition.
Sorting Out Race: Examining Racial Identity & Stereotypes in Thrift Store Donations
- September 9 through October 28, 2016
- Pete P. Peters Balcony gallery, 3rd floor, North Wing in the Henry Madden Library
- This is a free public event during normal Library hours. Parking may be restricted.
In order to bring us into healthy conversation about race, Sorting Out Race spotlights the relationship of cultural artifacts and racial identity as viewed through the framework of the thrift store donation. The interactive exhibition leads viewers to key questions:
- Should objects of stereotypical representation remain to circulate in today’s society or should they be “sorted out” of the resale market and discarded?
- What part do these artifacts play in shaping racial identity?
- How do racial stereotypes perpetuate systems of dominance and privilege?
We invite you to view the exhibition, as well as the related events, and to add to the complex conversation.
Public Opening Reception and Panel Discussion
- Friday, September 9, 2016, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Outside the Pete P. Peters Balcony gallery, 3rd floor, North Wing in the Henry Madden Library
- RSVP by September 1, 2016 on eRsvp form using "LIBRACE"
The panel discussion members are:
- Dr. Shane Moreman, Professor of Communication, Intercultural Communication;
- Mr. Desmond Davila, Director of Hinds Hospice Thrift Stores;
- Dr. Melanie Hernandez, Professor of English with emphasis on comparative African American and Chicano Studies; and
- Ms. Kathy Osterberg-Sobelman, owner of Osterberg's Mercantile Antiques and Collectibles and Osterberg’s Estate Liquidations and Appraisals.
The panel moderator will be:
- Dr. Ida Jones, Professor of Finance and Business Law and SubDirect Teaching Fellow 2016-2017.
President’s Forum on Inclusion, Respect and Equity
- Wednesday, September 28, 2016, 7 p.m.
- Thursday, September 29, 2016, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Keynote speaker is Dr. David Pilgrim, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at Ferris State University and the Director of the Jim Crow Museum. He will speak on “Self-reflecting on Our Identities and Stereotypes.”
For more information, visit the President's Commission on Human Relations and Equity site.
National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) Workshop
The NCBI will conduct an interactive workshop centered on a related controversial question on October 4, 2016 from 2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. in the Fresno State Vintage Room.
Suggested Reading and Arne Nixon Center Display
To extend the exhibition to the campus, the Library will distribute a bibliography of titles addressing various topics raised by the exhibition and encourage their use as a curriculum tie-in. In addition, the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children's Literature will display two cases of analogous books and objects from its archives.
Download the exhibition bibliography (PDF) now.
For More Information
- Exhibition designed and produced by Kauffman Museum at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas.
- For further help, including assistance with disability accommodations or physical access, call 559.278.8116 or email Jennifer Crow at jcrow@csufresno.edu.
Social Media
- Library Facebook event page: www.facebook.com/events/1711524792449734/
- Library Diversity Committee Facebook page: @MaddenLibraryDiversity
- Library Facebook page: @HenryMaddenLibrary
- Library Twitter page: @MaddenLibrary #SortingOutRace