The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage will officially re-open to the public on Monday, January 18, 2021 with the special event, “Hear Our Voices: Annual MLK Day Celebration.” The Museum will honor the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with an all-day celebration including free Museum admission, virtual family activities, and an online program featuring special guest, Dr. David Pilgrim, founder and curator of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University in Michigan. Registrants are invited to take a free virtual tour of the Jim Crow Museum before the lecture and bring questions for Dr. Pilgrim at 3pm via Zoom. All activities are free with advance registration. Please visit www.maltzmuseum.org to reserve tickets. This day is generously sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Community Relations Committee.
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITES
10am- 5pm by timed tickets only: Visit the Maltz Museum, In-Person
Tour the Maltz Museum’s core collections at no cost. Discover the Jewish-American immigrant experience in An American Story and explore Judaica and ritual objects in The Temple-Tifereth Israel Gallery. Free admission with advance registration. Limited timed tickets available.
11am- 12pm: Stop the Hate Essay Writing Workshop, Online
Each year the Maltz Museum awards $100,000 in scholarships and prizes to Northeast Ohio student upstanders, as part of its annual Stop the Hate contest. During this one-hour workshop designed for 6th – 12th graders, Lake Erie Ink will provide insight on how to craft a personal essay that tells a powerful story. Learn tips and tricks for essay writing to give students an edge in the competition (and in future college applications)!
1pm – 2pm: March Toward Freedom, an Interactive Family Event, Online
This MLK Day, join us for “March Toward Freedom,” when Punch McHamm of BravoNation reads from the book As Good as Anybody written by Richard Michelson and illustrated by Raul Colon, about the friendship of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. An interactive Q&A with Zelma Brown of SAFY follows. Then, get moving with an improv style theater activity by Talespinner Children’s Theater, exploring what it means to embody leadership characteristics. A jam-packed hour, sure to entertain and inspire family members of all ages and backgrounds – don’t miss it!
One of America’s most fascinating museums is housed inside Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia uses racist objects of intolerance to teach tolerance and promote social justice, examining the historical patterns of race relations and the origins and consequences of racist depictions. The aim is to engage visitors in open and honest dialogues about this country’s racial history. Founder and curator, Dr. David Pilgrim has said, “We are not afraid to talk about race and racism; we are afraid not to.”
Join Dr. Pilgrim this MLK Day in a discussion about race, racism and the Jim Crow Museum. Learn about their teaching methods and the belief in the triumph of dialogue.
Registrants are invited to take a free virtual tour of the Jim Crow Museum before the lecture and bring questions for Dr. Pilgrim at 3pm via Zoom.
Pre-registration is required to access online programs. Register up to 30 minutes before the start of the programs.
About Featured Speaker, Dr. David Pilgrim
Dr. David Pilgrim, an applied sociologist with doctorate from The Ohio State University, is founder and Director of the Jim Crow Museum, the nation’s largest, publicly accessible collection of racist objects, located at Ferris State University where he serves as Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion. A prolific writer, Dr. Pilgrim is author of Understanding Jim Crow: Using Racist Memorabilia to Teach Tolerance and Promote Social Justice (PM Press, 2015) as well as countless additional writings used by scholars, students, and civil rights and human rights workers to better understand historical and contemporary expressions of racism. He has been interviewed by National Public Radio, Time magazine, the British Broadcasting Corporation, and dozens of newspapers, including theNew York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times.
Visit www.maltzmuseum.org for more information and to register.
Thank you to the generous sponsorship of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Community Relations Committee for making this free day at the Maltz Museum possible. Online events are made possible with the generous support of the Cleveland Jewish News.
Thank you to our community partners and co-hosts: Global Jewish Advocacy, ADL – Cleveland, BRIDGES Black Heritage Cultural Center, CWRU – Siegal Lifelong Learning Program, Children’s Museum of Cleveland, Classrooms Without Borders, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio, Global Cleveland, and Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust and Humanity Center
Thank you to our media partners: Northeast Ohio Boomer & Beyond and Northeast Ohio Parent
