Historical Buildings: African American Museum in Philadelphia

“The museum is committed to telling the story of African Americans in all its permutations: family life, the Civil Rights movement, arts and entertainment, sports, medicine, architecture, politics, religion, law and technology. The AAMP currently houses four galleries and an auditorium, each of which offer exhibitions anchored by one of our three dominant themes: the African Diaspora, the Philadelphia Story, and the Contemporary Narrative.” (http://www.aampmuseum.org/aboutus/default.asp) Although the Civil Rights Movement occurred decades ago, we are still facing racism today. Two current cases, Jena 6 and the case of Megan Williams, have shown us that racism in America persists and most recently, the Democratic candidates have stirred up many racial issues from everyone.

In the Jena 6 case, several racially motivated incidents led up to the culminating event of the hanging of nooses from a school tree after black students sat under it and the beating of one of the students. The latter issue (noose and beating) and the action taken to reprimand and protect those involved propelled this story onto internet sites and blogs. Videos, interviews, and documentaries were created to raise awareness. Slowly but surely, the story hit mass media. Officials involved were criticized about the manner in which the case was handled. The students involved were allegedly improperly punished for their actions. The issue of racism immediately rose because the Caucasian students who hung the nooses were suspended while the African American students who beat up a Caucasian student, were threatened and charged with attempted murder. (Information on the Jena 6 case: http://colorofchange.org/jena/message.html, http://www.democracynow.org/2007/7/10/the_case_of_the_jena_six )

This inequality impelled others to get involved. Soon, prominent figures like Reverend Al Sharpton and artist Mos Def got involved, and ultimately orchestrated/inspired a march and similar nonviolent protests all over the country. The march, held in Jena, Louisiana, drew a large crowd of supporters. Non-supporters also made their presence known. There was a pick up truck with “two nooses hanging off the back, repeatedly passing groups of demonstrators who were waiting for buses back to their home states.” (http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/21/car.nooses/index.html)

As for the Megan Williams case, she was kidnapped and held captive in a former acquaintance’s home, where he, his mother and four other accomplices continued to abuse and torture her in unimaginable ways. Remarkably, she survived the weeklong torture and was discovered when an anonymous tip led the local sheriff to the house. More information on this case can be found at http://abcnews.go.com/US/WireStory?id=3590598&page=1 and http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/12/national/main3253257.shtml.

Racism became more prominent in the media again from the speculation of Senator Barack Obama running for President up to today. Throughout the presidential race, media collected polls and data regarding the relevance of race to the supporters and other issues. Not only is the media speaking out on the idea of a minority running for President but also American citizens. On May 13, 2008, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published an article regarding Marietta residents and their view on Senator Obama running for President. A controversial shirt with the image of a cartoon monkey, Curious George, peeling a banana and the words “Obama in ‘08” underneath is currently being sold at a local bar. Here is an excerpt of the article:

About a dozen protestors rallied against the shirts Tuesday afternoon, condemning them as racist and asking Norman [bar owner] to stop selling them.

Norman acknowledged the imagery's Jim Crow roots but said he sees nothing wrong with depicting a prominent African-American as a monkey.

"We're not living in the (19)40's," he said. "Look at him . . . the hairline, the ears -- he looks just like Curious George."

(http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/stories/2008/05/13/mulligans_0514.html)

The residents admit the image is racist and wrong but some continue to support the sale. True, we are not living in the 1940’s but we are still dealing with the same issues and their repercussions. AAPM provides a place to discuss current issues regarding African Americans and relate it to past events. The museum has events for speakers, conventions, and performances. More information on the museum is provided at their website: http://www.aampmuseum.org/aboutus/default.asp.

Hist 298: Historical Buildings

Eastern State Penitentiary, located on 22^nd & Fairmount Ave, is a historical monument, which provided the blueprint for prison construction and ideas around the world. During the century following Eastern State Penitentiary’s opening in 1829, more than 300 prisons in South America, Europe, Russia, China, Japan, and across the British Empire were based on its plan. The structure, designed by John Haviland, was based upon “Quaker-inspired system of isolation from other prisoners, with labor.” (http://www.easternstate.org/history/sixpage.php) It was a place of isolation, where prisoners would think of their crime and have true penitence.

With a building and values set in place, criticism from both spectrums emerged. “Debate grew about the effectiveness and compassion of solitary confinement. Was it cruel to hold these men and women without outside visitors, without books or letters from home, without contact with the outside world?” (http://www.easternstate.org/history/sixpage.php) When people are left alone without any distractions, some may go insane and try to kill themselves to get themselves out of the situation while others will contemplate how and why they are in the particular situation. With appropriate supervision and guidance, penitence can occur within prisoners.

An article published in Time Magazine on November 15, 1943 (Eastern State Penitentiary was closed in 1971) reported prisoners donating their skins to burn victims. The donators included murderers and thieves who donated their skin without any compensation except for the gratitude of helping others. Does this act reflect their progress; have they truly penitent? Because of their donation, it shows that they care about others rather than only themselves. Are felons truly bad people? Why did they murder? Why did they steal? There is a differentiation between insanity and desperation. Some of the murderers may have been victims of abuse. The inflictor’s ways finally pushed them to the edge of sanity resulting in death. This situation is famously represented in movies, such as Prison Song, Monster, and Provoked just to name a few. In all these situations, the victim was sentenced to do time in jail, but that is not the help they need. Obviously, they needed psychological help because the person they murdered abused them in a way that pushed them to their limits.

Even the rest of the people need psychological help. For someone to have so much hatred or a desire to kill has some serious mental issues that need professional help. Issues as large as this are not something that can be resolved on their own. Some convicts’ stories are similar: drug dealers selling money to support their family, they steal to obtain food or make some money, and some have low self-esteem and allowed people to influence their decisions (e.g. prostitution or other crimes people were swayed to commit). Some cannot find an employer who will give a chance to an ex-convict, so he/she returns to his/her old illegal habits in order to survive. Illegal activity is not justifiable in any circumstance but their reasons for committing crimes may have been preventable.

Today, the Eastern State Penitentiary is protected by a non-profit corporation, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc., and functions as a historical building, providing guided tours year-long and holds a special event on Halloween.

“Skinning Convicts”. Time 15 Nov. 1943

Eastern State Penitentiary Official Website: http://www.easternstate.org/