KNOXVILLE— The McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville will host a Family and Community Day in connection to its current its current exhibition, For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights. The public is invited to join an afternoon celebrating Knoxville’s rich history of activism and diversity from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, September 29.

The museum education team with community organizer and event collaborator, Joe Valentine, outside of McClung Museum. Left to Right: Callie Bennett, Joe Valentine, Leslie Jang-Chantz; image courtesy of the museum

This celebration features a roundtable discussion comprised of Knoxvillians, who participated in the local Civil Rights movement, and of UT students currently engaged in the strife for equality. The discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Brandon Winford, professor at UT’s Department of History who specializes in civil rights and black business. The museum hopes to bring attention to the variety of local and generational stories that relate to the exhibition’s themes.

The program will also encourage visitors to participate in art activities and demonstrations. Business owner and UT alumna, Sarah Shebaro of Striped Light letterpress shop, will conduct a workshop on creating a “Poster for Positive Change.” Artist W. James Taylor will lead an interactive craft for children, and a local gospel choir will perform anthems from the Civil Rights Movement. Additionally, the museum staff will offer guided tours of For all the World to See and craft projects connected to specific sections of the exhibition.

The event is a collaboration between on and off campus communities. A notable example is Joe Valentine, community organizer and partner, whose work has been an integral part of connecting the McClung to youth groups, churches, afterschool programs, and many other local institutions. She comments “I volunteered to be a part of the planning committee because I was born and raised in East Knoxville and am old enough to remember when we could not even stand in front of the Tennessee Theater to catch the bus.”

We just can't shop - Scene from a protest, believed to be circa 1956, in front of Rich’s department store in downtown Knoxville that is featured in the documentary Say It Loud: Knoxville During the Civil Rights Era. Photo courtesy Knoxville News-Sentinel

Other organizations involved in the celebration are the Office of Multicultural Student Life at UT, whose members will join as volunteers and participants, and the League of Women Voters, who will host an information table on voter registration.

For all the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights has been made possible through the NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment of the Humanities. It has been adapted and is being toured by Mid-America Arts Alliance. For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights was organized by The Center for Art, Design, and Visual Culture, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in partnership with the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution.

The local showing of the exhibition is sponsored by UT’s Ready for the World initiative, with additional support from Knox County, the City of Knoxville, and the Arts and Heritage Fund.

The McClung Museum is located at 1327 Circle Park Drive. Museum admission is free, and the museum's hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Free two-hour museum parking passes are available from the parking kiosk at the entrance to Circle Park Drive during the week. Free parking is available on the weekends. Free public transportation to the museum is available via the Knoxville Trolley Vol Line. See the museum’s website for more information about family programming, parking, and collections and exhibits.