Prepared by Gayle Kall and Ian Mwangi

Mayo Clinic and the Rochester Public Library

Hosting of the American Anthropological Association’s RACE Exhibit

Brief description of the project:

"The exhibit provides a personal experience to explore and understand the scientific basis for race and racism to inform thinking."

Mayo Clinic and the Rochester Public Library are partnering with the community to bring the American Anthropological Association’s exhibit RACE:  Are We So Different? to Rochester.  The exhibit will be on display at the Rochester Public Library May 17 to September 11, 2010.  Through the partnership established with the library providing space and Mayo Clinic funding the exhibit, admission to the exhibit will be free of charge (admission is as much as $30 in other locations).  

RACE: Are we so different? brings together the everyday experience of living with race, its history as an idea, the role of science in that history, and the findings of contemporary science that are challenging its foundations. Interactive exhibit components, historical artifacts, iconic objects, compelling photographs, multimedia presentations, and attractive graphic displays offer visitors to RACE an eye-opening look at its important subject matter.

This exhibit is designed to educate on the importance of diversity to all communities. This exhibit is currently touring major United States museums including the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.  For more information go to www.mayoclinic.org/race 

 

Objectives of exhibit:

The educational goal of the RACE exhibit is to help individuals of all ages better understand the origins and manifestations of race and racism in everyday life by investigating race and human variation through the framework of science.  The exhibit is a multimedia educational experience and interactive.

The educational experience:

Race is not black and white.  The exhibit will assist participants in understanding “race” and human variation from a scientific, historical, and cultural perspective in three sections.

Section 1: The Science of Human Variation - where current scientific understanding is inconsistent with popular notions of race.  Participants will learn what current scientific research knows about human variation and its connection to ideas about race.  It will explore our common ancestry, learn why we are different as well as alike, and see how many common ideas about race are inaccurate or incomplete.

Section 2:  The History of Race –an emphasis on the role of science in shaping the concept of race.  The exhibit demonstrates how economic interests, power struggles, scientific research, and even popular culture have formed the American understanding of race, and have provided a sturdy framework for discrimination.  Learn about race as a human invention, and see how scientists who once legitimized ideas about race are now dismantling them.

Section 3: Race in our Culture – explore the contemporary experience of race and racism in the United States.  Although the concept of race may not be biologically valid, no one can argue that culturally and socially, race is real.  The exhibit shines a spotlight on how we experience the concept of race in everyday American life – at school and work, at the doctor’s office, in the halls of Congress, and even every time we switch on the television.

Summary of the Exhibit

Students and Educators

A total of 7,597 students in grade five through twelve and 806 of their chaperons (teachers and/or parents) visited the exhibit this summer. All but approximately 840 saw the play and participated in the Facilitated Discussions.

Total number of Students and Educators = 8403

Organized groups of students came from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Participating Schools were:

Austin Public (Summer school students only)

Bryon Middle

Byron High

Caledonia High

Chatfield Elementary

Chatfield High

Cannon Fall ALC

Cannon Falls High

Century High

Dover-Eyota High

Decorah Community

Freidell Middle

Fowell Elementary

Grand Meadow

Holy Spirit, Rochester

John Adams Middle

John Marshall High

Kingsland Intermediate

LaCresent WI Middle

LeRoy- Ostrander

Lewiston-Altura

Lincoln-at-Mann

Lourdes High, Rochester

Lyle Middle

Mayo High

Owatonna Intermediate

Owatonna Middle

Owatonna High

Pine Island

Plainview-Elgin-Millville

Riverside Elementary

St. Charles High

St. Frances, Rochester

St. Johns, Rochester

St. Mary’s, Owatonna

Stewartville

Willow Creek Middle

Winona Cotter Sr.

Winona Cotter, Jr.

Zumbrota-Mazeppa High

THINK Bank, Rochester and Rochester Area Foundation provided $16,998.50 in transportation funding to assure that any schools wishing too attend had the opportunity to participate in this exciting field trip without having to tap into their already financially strapped resources.

* Rochester Public Schools also held an in-service for approximately 100 of their “Leadership” team at the exhibit which included the exhibit tour and a Facilitated Discussion. They extended the opportunity to tour the exhibit to other “support” staff which approximately another 62 took advantage.

Scheduled Groups

*Please note that we only “tracked” groups which had 15 or more persons participating.

Work Groups:

Mayo Clinic, Rochester

49 Different departments scheduled tours of the exhibit

IBM, Rochester

Sponsored over 24 separate bus trips for their employees to tour the exhibit. (Each bus had the capacity of 55 persons)

Wells Fargo, Mpls.

brought a group of approximately 25 staff person to see the exhibit.

Federal Medical Center, Rochester

brought approximately 15 staff persons to tour the exhibit.

Rochester and Olmsted County

Offered 5 half day in-services for their employees which included an opportunity to tour the exhibit, participate in the Facilitated Discussions and watch the play.

Approximately 500 staff members participated.

Higher Education:

The University of Minnesota, Rochester

brought 40 of their staff and saw the play and participated in the Facilitated Discussions.

RCTC brought 70 students to tour the exhibit and brought 20 members of their Elder Hostel.

Augsburg College brought 10 nursing students to see the exhibit and participate in the Facilitated Discussions.

St. Mary’s Univ., Winona brought 35 students to tour the exhibit.

Winona State Univ., Winona brought __students to tour the exhibit.

Upward Bound brought 38 students to tour the exhibit.

Civic Groups:

 

The Kiwanis Club

The Rotary Club brought approximately 150 members to tour the

exhibit.

The Lions Club

Rochester FUEL

Non Profits:

The United Way=20 staff persons

Family Services Rochester = 40 persons

Hiawatha Homes = 15 staff persons

Camp Moon Hwa = 20 persons

J.O. Y. = 20 members

Rochester Juneteenth = 100 persons (?)

Sports Mentorship Academy = 15 persons

P.A.C.E. Link mentors = 30 members

SELCO Board = (?)

Boys and Girls Club of Rochester = 35

staff persons

Girls Scouts = 15

Rochester Library Foundation = 137 (check number) 

Seniors Citizens:

Rochester Sr. Center 20 members toured the exhibit.

Shorewood Sr. Campus 20 people toured the exhibit.

Fairway Ridge Sr. Co-op 20 members toured the exhibit.

Charter House skilled nursing staff 20 members toured the exhibit.

Minnesota Science Museum

brought staff to tour the exhibit and sponsored a Minnesota Legislators day at the exhibit. 30 persons participated (?)

Faith Groups:

St. John Church, Rochester-20

Bethel Lutheran Church Rochester -30

Unitarian Church Rochester -20

Rochester Ministerial Assoc. – 15 persons

Interfaith Youth Community – 30 persons

Exhibit Stats:

Volunteer Stats:

  1. Mayo Clinic: 565.5
  2. Sisters of Saint Francis: 460.5
  3. Minnesota Reading Corps: 172
  4. Rochester Public Schools: 166.5
  5. Winona State University: 69
  1. Mary Alice Richardson: 91
  2. Leah Nelson: 79.5
  3. Ruth Larson: 77
  4. Susy Olsen: 61.5
  5. Jessica Reddinger-Litke: 60

Community Stats: