NEWS FROM THE CONSULATE
“Separate Is Not Equal” Exhibit Opens at the KwaMuhle Museum
November 2, 2009
The “ Separate is Not Equal” Exhibit opened at the KwaMuhle Museum on October 5, 2009. Originally developed by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, the exhibit features film, photographs, sound recordings, and reconstructions that explore the history of racial segregation in the United States, the landmark Supreme Court Ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education and the subsequent decades of struggle for racial equality. It was brought to South Africa by the U.S. Embassy and reinterpreted for South African audiences in partnership with The Apartheid Museum.
The opening program featured addresses by U.S. Deputy Consul General Sherry Zalika Sykes who spoke of her own experience of school desegregation as a student in Chicago in the late 1970’s. Special guest speaker from the United States, Johnny Mack, COO of the Realizing the Dream Foundation established by Martin Luther King III , spoke of the shared experiences of the United States and South Africa and urged the young guests to realize their full potential.
The KwaMuhle Museum is located in the center of Durban and focuses on local history, correcting the inaccuracies in the historical record left by apartheid. Its collections reflect on the realities of township life, the history of black political trade unions and cultural organizations. It is housed in the building that was once the headquarters for the Native Administrative Department, responsible for enforcing the infamous pass laws that controlled the movements of black laborers.
The “Separate is Not Equal” Exhibit will be on display at the KwaMuhle Museum through September 2010.
Consul General Jill Derderian is chief of the Consulate
Biography
US Consulate General- Durban
Postal/Street
303 Dr. Pixley KaSeme Street
31st Floor, Old Mutual Center
Durban 4001
Tel: (27 31) 305-7600
Fax: (27 31 305-7691)
