African-American history and the impact of hip hop music will be explored outside the confines of a classroom in Port Huron this summer, when the national award-winning Black History 101 Mobile Museum comes to the Don Dodge Auditorium.
The Black History 101 Mobile Museum is on a national tour highlighting 50 Years of Hip Hop culture. More than 50 stops are planned in 18 states between Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth. The museum received the Freedom Scholar Award in 2020 presented by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
The exhibit educates and informs the public about African-American history. Tour hours on June 16 will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum’s founder/CEO, Dr. Khalid el-Hakim, will speak at 1 p.m.
“His presentation will be the origins and purpose of the museum as well as reflections on past and current African-American experiences,” said Mike Mercatante, the community relations spokesperson for St. Clair County Library System.
The exhibit will be set up in the auditorium, as the library branch was not large enough. The Don Dodge Auditorium is located at 200 Grand River Ave., across the street from the St. Clair County Library System Main Library/Port Huron Branch.
“We wanted to recognize and celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip hop music and culture, as well as to honor Juneteenth and other significant African-American history events,” Mercatante said.
Mercatante said the library funded bringing the program to Port Huron in collaboration with a grant from Michigan Humanities.
There is no cost to attend the museum, which el-Hakim originally founded in 1995. el-Hakim said June 16 will be the first time the museum has come to Port Huron, and it is suitable for people middle school age and up.
“The exhibit consists of a tabletop display set on 10 tables, showcasing over 150 original artifacts,” el-Hakim said. “While it is called a ‘mobile museum,’ it is not contained within a single mobile unit. Instead, it is set up in each location as I travel, providing a unique experience wherever it is exhibited.”
African-American related artifacts throughout history are a part of the exhibit, including the civil rights movement. Politics, science, religion, education, music, sports and more are among the categories represented in the collection. el-Hakim traveled the country for 32 years to acquire a diverse archive of African-American artifacts, obtained through antique shops, flea markets, estate sales and auctions.
“The exhibit is set up in a chronological timeline, beginning with the trans-Atlantic slave trade. It then progresses through significant periods such as Jim Crow, civil rights, Black Power, the Black Arts Movement, and concludes with hip hop culture,” el-Hakim said.
Artifacts illustrating the evolution of hip hop culture show its impact on U.S. society. The exhibit also highlights contributions of African-American artists and innovators of the genre, further viewing hip hop culture through the lens of social movements.
“The museum includes hip hop-related artifacts from the pioneers of hip hop culture, such as MC Sha-Rock of the Funky 4 + 1 and original photographs by Ernie Paniccioli from the Stop the Violence Movement. Hip hop has been actively present in various social movements, including the anti-apartheid movement, the Million Man March, Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and the Black Lives Matter Movement,” el-Hakim said. “The exhibit showcases flyers, magazines, photos, political buttons, albums, and other items representing hip hop’s contributions to these movements. In the 50th anniversary of hip hop culture, I believe it is important to share a perspective that people do not usually focus on.”
Prominent historical figures such as Frederick Douglass, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Lena Horne and others are highlighted in the exhibit.
“Additionally, videos featuring interviews and performances of historical figures will be shown throughout the exhibit, offering a multimedia experience,” el-Hakim said.
The mobile museum added a virtual format to continue its work throughout COVID-19, which remains an option.
For more information about the Black History 101 Mobile Museum, visit blackhistorymobilemuseum.com.
Nicole Tuttle is a freelance reporter for The Voice.
