Ferris State is currently investigating a social media post from earlier this week portraying offensive content.
Museum help visitors understand segregation. Photo courtesy of the Jim Crow Museum’s virtual tour
The post portrayed a white male mockingly using the “whites only” sink located within the Jim Crow Museum on campus, with the caption “Trump as won the election” posted by a black student.
While the post was taken down, questions remain surrounding the effect of the content on students.
Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications Dave Murray stated that students should know that Ferris remained committed to curating an inclusive and safe campus for all.
“We became aware of the post [on Nov. 7] and began immediately looking into it,” Murray said. “It is certainly upsetting to see. Such a photo reminds us that the message and mission of the Jim Crow Museum remains relevant. We have made progress as a society, but we have far, far to go. We have much more work to do as a community and a nation.”
The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery seeks to educate the community about the impact of racism and promote social justice. The museum emphasizes the necessary and sometimes painful dialogue required to address the problems of racism.
The museum utilizes racist artifacts to demonstrate how opinions were developed towards African Americans during the Jim Crow era, as well as reflect the attitudes of that time. The goal of the museum is to bring an understanding of how racist ideas and imagery have dominated American culture and continue to affect society today.
At the time of this article, it is unknown if the student who made the post has faced repercussions.