Pink Palace

Though perhaps not as well known as the National Civil Rights Museum, The Pink Palace Museum is a large tourist attraction in Memphis. Rhodes students complete internships there, and the museum engages with the greater community with the help of a theatre and planetarium. I went for the first time yesterday, and was appalled at how whitewashed the ‘Cultural History of the Mid-South’ exhibit was. It was as though the exhibit had not been changed since the opening in the 1970’s. It detailed many aspects of pioneer life in Memphis, including everything from medical practices to textile work; however, the exhibit appeared to be void of the impacts slavery had on the nation.

Tucked behind a column of plaques discussing horse drawn carriages and log cabins, there was a relatively small display entitled ‘Slavery’. The six-sentence section label began with, “Public sentiment in the 1820’s and 30’s was in favor of emancipation but not for racial equality.” The blurb mentioned the pick up in slave trade during the 1850’s in Memphis, though little else. Though it was one of the most monumental pieces of legislation in the history of the United States, the only mentions of the effects from the Emancipation Proclamation were tucked in small text in one or two of the displays. There was a sentence about black units serving during the Civil War. However, it seemed to have been an afterthought, and appeared to be out of place; the section was about medicine used during the Civil War.

Where is Ida B. Wells? Racial distribution during the Yellow Fever epidemics? Disenfranchisement and Jim Crow laws? While most of this happened in the second half of the 1800’s, the exhibit claimed to be the history from 1800-1900. As proof, the medical innovations were detailed up to the turn of the century. The museum was clearly more interested in displaying the Calvary units from the Civil War (in all of which the models were white) and details of the replica of the Victorian Music Room than the social and economic positions of African Americans. The majority of the displays were about the white, upper-class culture. The ‘Slavery’ section mentioned that many slaves in the city were used for household services. However, there were no depictions of slaves in the recreations. In the recreation of a music room and parlor, there was a glaring lack of said population in the models.

Interestingly enough, a peek at the Pink Palace website gives more information about slavery and racial inequality than the entire museum. It is comforting to know that anyone willing to do the research can easily find more information on such topics. But this completely defeats the museum’s purpose. A museum is a resource for the general public, and those not intrinsically interested in history will only be exposed to a one sided story. Furthermore, this is a permanent exhibit. Everyone who has come to the Pink Palace has seen this, and were given a story with gaping holes. Though the mansion is being renovated, the changes that need to happen within are being ignored.

Restorative Justice

https://crimethinc.com/2013/04/17/accounting-for-ourselves-breaking-the-impasse-around-assault-and-abuse-in-anarchist-scenes

This is a wonderful, but lengthy, piece on restorative justice in movements specifically surrounding sexual abuse. I wanted to share this piece’s opinions on group empowerment and the formation of power structures in society. Our conceptualization of community and hierarchy relates to the movement for liberation. In particular, the relatively recent emphasis of black feminist theory and intersectional feminism has highlighted the misogynoir and sexual assault that unites the experiences of many women of color, especially transgender WOC and WOC with disabilities. I’m writing this post with the expectation that this class has a basic understanding of the bodily control exerted over black women during and after slavery, both as sexual objects and dehumanized home labor. Rather than discussing this narrative, I’ve been considering how to move on with this reality in mind. How can movements for civil rights and human justice operate within a system of misogynoir while actively rejecting racist, sexist, cissexist, ablest, and audist ideologies? More importantly, how do we as a movement heal ourselves while fighting injustice?

Restorative justice refocuses the emphasis from perpetrators to victims without victimizing or victim-blaming. It still seeks to assign blame, but in a manner that is productive in seeking out justice over vengeance and prevention over maintenance. Unlike many concepts discussed in academic settings, restorative justice draws out what is useful for those experiencing abuse, rather than chasing some abstract or intangible form of punishment. This centers the experiential knowledge of the people experiencing abuse to better empathize and treat the oppression at its source. This methodology differs from others that have similar goals but divergent methods in that it returns agency to those experiencing marginalization and validates their judgment and experiences. Support collectives, personal networks, and brave spaces are all ways in which this is being accomplished. Stating the vital importance of critical awareness and reflection in allies is an element that puts the responsibility for justice on people other than the victims.

Any movement should be reflective and critical of its members and its processes. When we consider the Civil Rights movement in Memphis, we should remember to be critical of those in power, those who are most forefront, and the backing beliefs that are prioritized. Likewise, we should question the level of restorative justice and the forms it is allowed to take. Self-care and healing are often deemphasized, so studying the space it is allowed to take (in primary and secondary sources) is important to understanding the people and ideals that comprise a movement. Pay close attention to when movements prioritize ideals and when they prioritize people.