Last chance to visit Pop-Up Black History Museum
Originally published on The JOLT News on February 20th, 2025.
Studying history during my time in college, I learned that the most impactful historical realizations occur when you are able to engage as many human senses as possible. To see, hear, touch, smell, and taste history allows your mind to make connections it would not have reached on its own.
New Life Baptist’s 3rd annual Pop-Up Black History Museum in Lacey is a truly sense-sational experience. This is the last weekend to enjoy this free museum until next year. If you go this Sunday (after New Life’s church service), you can join the church’s community for a meal, engaging all five senses in one experience. I urge you to make the time to attend!
Here’s why:
Walking through the exhibits, everything felt colorful, bright, and beautiful -- a breath of fresh air during these gray, cloudy days. A highlight reel of achievements, this museum celebrates numerous contributions of the Black community both on a local and national level. Appealing to a variety of interests, topics include:
Black pioneers and influences in the Pacific Northwest
Civil Rights Movement and activists
Blacks in literature, music, STEM, military, and politics
History of Black magazines and newspapers
Tuskegee Airmen/Buffalo Soldiers
Donated by members of the community and church, each item in the museum has a story to share. Items like quilts take on new meaning when you learn about their symbolism and historic purpose. As my tour guide Jarvis Haris said, “Every picture is worth a thousand words (and there are endless opportunities for learning from every item in this museum).” There are also QR codes posted throughout the museum along with reading materials and friendly volunteers, who are eager to answer questions and enjoy conversations.
Throughout my tour of this museum, I learned about all the efforts to engage younger generations with this history. Field Trip Coordinator Carletta Garraway told us about the North Thurston schools that brought groups in for presentations, games, and food.
Whether a student comes with their school or a family, every child who visits gets to choose a book to take home with them to continue their historical education. The museum has even provided spaces for younger children to do crafts and for teens to “hang out” with history.
Students can learn from the museum, and some have even contributed to its exhibits: one of the museum hallways has portraits of famous Black figures drawn by local high school students.
These pieces of artwork are absolutely breathtaking with their attention to detail and impressive skill. I am amazed by the talent displayed here and am grateful that the arts flourish in our schools.
Being such an active part of this museum, I asked Jarvis what his favorite part of the museum was, and he told me it was the people. Jarvis loves seeing the looks on attendees' faces when they discover something new, and he loves talking to them about it.
As a member of this “audience,” I agreed that the conversations were some of my favorite moments from my time at the museum. Through chatting with volunteers and fellow attendees, I was brought to contemplate deep topics surrounding Black history, including moments of anguish and violence.
I was reminded of the challenges our communities of color face in Thurston County today. We discussed the role of “the witness” throughout the good and the bad moments in history, and it left me with much food for thought.
All these topics are fundamental in this moment of time, and I am grateful to all the people (like the New Life congregation) who can continue to create safe spaces for these conversations to take place. I invite you to come to the museum, leave behind all preconceived notions of Black history at the door and enter with an open mind and heart, ready to learn.
I wish I could go back and spend a full day soaking in every possible detail. Thankfully, they are already planning next year’s pop-up museum (stay tuned).
If you are unable to make it this year, I hope to see you there next year. Until then, you can still engage in local Black history by:
Watching the videos that they include in the QR codes at the museum. These videos can also be found here.
Purchasing Dr. Thelma Jackson’s book “Blacks in Thurston County, Washington 1950 to 1975: A Community Album.” You can buy a copy here.
https://www.thejoltnews.com/stories/last-chance-to-visit-pop-up-black-history-museum,18841?