David Pilgrim’s journey began not in a museum, but amidst discarded remnants of a painful past. As a self-proclaimed “garbage collector, racist garbage,” Pilgrim, curator of the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University, has spent decades amassing a chilling collection of artifacts that defame and demean African Americans. From parlor games instructing players to mimic racist caricatures to everyday objects adorned with hateful imagery, these items serve as stark reminders of a deeply ingrained history of intolerance. While seemingly disparate, this confrontation with historical racism shares an unexpected, if contrasting, space with contemporary discussions around economic empowerment within the African American community, such as through African American Skin Care Direct Sale Programs. These programs represent a modern drive for self-determination and economic advancement, a stark departure from the oppressive narratives of the Jim Crow era, yet both underscore the ongoing need for understanding and addressing the complex layers of American history and its impact on the present.
The genesis of Pilgrim’s collection can be traced back to his youth in Mobile, Alabama, during the early 1970s. A visceral reaction to a Mammy saltshaker, a racist caricature embodying subservience, ignited a lifelong pursuit. This wasn’t a calculated political statement, but a raw, emotional rejection of an object steeped in dehumanizing stereotypes. This early experience reflects the pervasive nature of these caricatures in American society, where even everyday items were weaponized to reinforce racial hierarchies. Pilgrim’s personal anecdote highlights the insidious reach of racist imagery and its power to provoke strong emotional responses, even in a young age.
His collecting broadened over time, encompassing a vast range of objects. A 1916 magazine advertisement for “Nigger Milk,” featuring a caricatured black child, became another significant addition. This acquisition, marked by a confrontation with a salesclerk unwilling to acknowledge the print’s racist title, underscores Pilgrim’s commitment to confronting racism head-on, refusing to sanitize or ignore its historical manifestations. This anecdote reveals the subtle but persistent ways racism is often minimized or glossed over, and the importance of direct and honest language in addressing it.
The collection is not limited to inexpensive items. Pilgrim recounts the existence of “Chopped Up Niggers,” a puzzle game from 1874, now a highly sought-after collectible, and postcards depicting horrific acts of violence against black people, including lynchings. These items, some priced at hundreds or even thousands of dollars, reveal a disturbing market for racist memorabilia. The existence of such collectibles and their price points speaks to a continued fascination with and, for some, a perverse appreciation of racist artifacts. This market underscores the need to understand the enduring appeal of such imagery and its potential to perpetuate harmful ideologies.
Pilgrim’s motivation extends beyond mere collecting. His time at Jarvis Christian College, a historically black institution, profoundly shaped his understanding of Jim Crow segregation. He learned about the lived experiences of black people under this oppressive system, stories not of anger, but of matter-of-fact accounts of daily indignities and systemic inequality. These narratives, shared by his professors, instilled in him a deep understanding of the personal and systemic impact of Jim Crow, moving beyond abstract historical accounts to the concrete realities of lived experience.
Inspired by his college experiences, Pilgrim began to see his collection as a potential tool for education and activism. He recognized the pervasive nature of anti-black caricatures in American popular culture, portraying black people as “pitiable exotics, cannibalistic savages, hypersexual deviants, childlike buffoons, obedient servants, self-loathing victims, and menaces to society.” These depictions, found on everyday objects, served to both reflect and reinforce negative attitudes towards African Americans. Pilgrim understood that these objects were not simply artifacts of a bygone era, but active agents in shaping and maintaining racist ideologies.
Referencing Robbin Henderson, Pilgrim emphasizes that “derogatory imagery enables people to absorb stereotypes; which in turn allows them to ignore and condone injustice, discrimination, segregation, and racism.” This quote encapsulates the museum’s core mission: to use these very objects of hate to dismantle the stereotypes and prejudices they embody. By confronting visitors with the tangible evidence of racist imagery, the museum aims to disrupt the normalization of these stereotypes and foster a critical understanding of their harmful impact.
The Jim Crow system, Pilgrim argues, was sustained not only by laws and signs, but also by a vast array of material objects that portrayed black people as inferior. Caricatures like the “Coon” reinforced the idea of black men as lazy, unintelligent, and unfit for equal participation in society. These images permeated postcards, games, and countless other items, shaping public perception and justifying discriminatory practices. Pilgrim’s collection provides a visual representation of how deeply embedded these stereotypes were in American society, and how they functioned to uphold the Jim Crow regime.
During his graduate studies at Ohio State University, Pilgrim continued to expand his collection, often acquiring items for just a few dollars. These seemingly innocuous objects, like a postcard depicting a black man being eaten by an alligator or a matchbox featuring a Sambo caricature, reveal the casualness and pervasiveness of racist imagery in everyday life. His limited budget at the time highlights the accessibility of these items, further emphasizing how deeply ingrained racist representations were in popular culture and readily available for consumption.
His time in academia, however, was also marked by a growing sense of anger and frustration. While surrounded by discussions of race relations, Pilgrim felt a disconnect between the theoretical discourse and the lived realities of racism. He questioned the depth of understanding among his white colleagues and professors, perceiving a gap between academic analysis and genuine empathy. This period of intellectual and emotional grappling fueled his determination to create a space where the realities of racism could be confronted directly and viscerally.
Inspired by Paul Robeson’s book Here I Stand, Pilgrim embraced the idea of the scholar-activist. He recognized the need to move beyond academic analysis and engage directly with the issue of racism in a tangible and impactful way. This realization solidified his vision for the collection as not just a personal archive, but a public resource for education and social change. Robeson’s example of unwavering commitment to social justice resonated deeply with Pilgrim, inspiring him to utilize his collection as a tool for activism.
Pilgrim observes a societal tendency to focus on slavery while avoiding discussions of Jim Crow. He argues that this preference stems from the temporal distance of slavery, making it easier to sanitize and conceptualize as a past injustice, rather than a system whose legacy continues to resonate. Jim Crow, on the other hand, is within living memory, and its consequences are still felt today. This observation highlights the discomfort in confronting the more recent and directly impactful era of Jim Crow segregation, and the societal inclination to distance ourselves from its ongoing ramifications.
The horrors of Jim Crow, Pilgrim emphasizes, are not easily dismissed. The generation who lived through it are still alive, carrying with them the memories of violence, discrimination, and daily indignities. Events like the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham serve as stark reminders of the terrorism inflicted upon black communities during this era. Pilgrim stresses the importance of remembering and acknowledging these lived experiences to fully understand the depth and breadth of Jim Crow’s impact.
Joining Ferris State University in 1990 provided Pilgrim with a platform to further develop his vision for the collection. Initially, he used the objects in public addresses, particularly to high school students, discovering a widespread ignorance about Jim Crow and a skepticism towards the severity of its racism. This realization underscored the urgent need for accessible and impactful educational resources on this history. Pilgrim’s early outreach revealed a critical gap in historical understanding, highlighting the necessity of bringing the realities of Jim Crow to younger generations.
A pivotal moment occurred in 1991 when Pilgrim encountered Mrs. Haley, an elderly black antique dealer with an extensive collection of black-related objects, including racist memorabilia. Her vast collection, housed in the back of her shop, left Pilgrim with a profound sense of sadness. This encounter solidified his resolve to create a museum, a space where these objects could be displayed not as mere collectibles, but as powerful catalysts for dialogue and understanding. Mrs. Haley’s collection served as a powerful and emotional catalyst, transforming Pilgrim’s collecting hobby into a mission-driven endeavor to create a museum dedicated to confronting racism.
Mrs. Haley shared with Pilgrim that in the 1960s and 70s, many white people, feeling shame or embarrassment, gave her racist objects. However, this dynamic shifted in the mid-1980s with the publication of price guides for racist collectibles, creating a market and driving up prices. This shift reveals a disturbing commodification of racist artifacts, transforming them from objects of shame to valuable commodities. The emergence of this market underscores the complex and sometimes perverse ways in which history and racism are intertwined with commerce and collecting.
Pilgrim continued to build his collection, seeking out racist objects at antique stores and flea markets. In 1994, a workshop at Colorado College provided an opportunity to acquire more items, further solidifying the vision for a museum at Ferris State University. This period of focused collecting and institutional support marked a significant step towards realizing the Jim Crow Museum as a tangible reality. The acquisition of new objects and the growing institutional backing propelled the museum project forward from a personal vision to a university-supported initiative.
With the support of colleagues like John Thorp, Pilgrim successfully advocated for physical space and funding at Ferris State University. This culminated in the establishment of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery. Donating his entire collection to the university, Pilgrim ensured the objects would be preserved and used for educational purposes. The museum’s creation marked the culmination of years of collecting and advocacy, transforming a personal collection into a public institution dedicated to education and dialogue.
Pilgrim emphasizes that the museum is intended as a “teaching laboratory.” Ferris State University faculty and students utilize the museum for educational purposes, examining historical expressions of racism and their contemporary relevance. The museum’s mission is explicitly pedagogical, designed to facilitate learning and critical engagement with the history of racism. By integrating the museum into the university’s academic framework, Pilgrim ensured its long-term sustainability and its central role in fostering education and dialogue.
The Jim Crow Museum’s mission is clear: “use items of intolerance to teach tolerance.” It aims to foster open and honest dialogues about America’s racial history, confronting uncomfortable truths and encouraging critical reflection. The museum’s approach is intentionally direct and challenging, aiming to disrupt complacency and force visitors to engage with the difficult realities of racism. By embracing open and sometimes painful conversations, the museum seeks to create a space for genuine learning and progress towards racial understanding.
Pilgrim addresses the criticism that the museum lacks “positive items.” He explains that the Jim Crow Museum functions, in effect, as a “black holocaust museum,” focusing on the horrific realities of racial oppression. This analogy underscores the severity and systemic nature of anti-black racism in American history. While acknowledging the sensitive nature of the term “holocaust,” Pilgrim uses it to convey the profound scale of suffering and loss endured by African Americans under slavery and Jim Crow.
However, Pilgrim outlines future plans to expand the museum to include “positive sections” showcasing the accomplishments of black individuals despite Jim Crow, highlighting the Civil Rights Movement, and creating a space for reflection. These additions aim to provide a more comprehensive and nuanced narrative, acknowledging both the pain of the past and the resilience and progress of the African American community. This planned expansion reflects a commitment to offering a balanced perspective, showcasing not only the horrors of racism but also the strength and achievements of those who overcame it.
The legacy of Jim Crow, Pilgrim argues, is complex and enduring. While legal segregation ended, Jim Crow attitudes and systemic racism persist. He points to contemporary examples of racial disparities and the resurgence of harmful stereotypes. Pilgrim emphasizes that confronting historical racism is not merely an academic exercise, but an essential step towards understanding and addressing contemporary forms of racism. The museum’s work remains vital in a society where the echoes of Jim Crow continue to reverberate.
Pilgrim notes a disturbing trend: the resurgence of racist objects in antique stores and online marketplaces. He points to examples like Ghettopoly, Trash Talker Dolls, and Shirley Q. Liquor as contemporary manifestations of anti-black caricatures, often disguised as satire. These examples demonstrate the ongoing production and consumption of racist imagery in contemporary society, highlighting the need for continued vigilance and critical engagement. The persistence of these items underscores the enduring appeal of racist stereotypes and the ongoing challenges in dismantling them.
Ultimately, Pilgrim emphasizes that “understanding is the principal thing.” The Jim Crow Museum aims to foster this understanding, prompting visitors to confront uncomfortable truths and engage in meaningful dialogues about race and racism. The museum’s success lies in its ability to spark conversations and challenge visitors to examine their own attitudes and assumptions. By fostering critical self-reflection and open dialogue, the museum strives to contribute to a more just and equitable society.
Pilgrim concludes with a personal anecdote, a poignant reminder of the ongoing impact of racism. Witnessing his daughter’s reaction to a young white boy wearing blackface underscores the deeply personal and emotional stakes of this work. This final story brings the abstract historical analysis back to the concrete realities of everyday life, emphasizing the continued relevance and urgency of the Jim Crow Museum’s mission. The personal story serves as a powerful and emotional conclusion, reinforcing the museum’s purpose and the curator’s personal commitment to combating racism.
The Jim Crow Museum, therefore, stands as a powerful testament to the necessity of confronting uncomfortable histories. It serves as a vital resource for education, dialogue, and ultimately, progress towards a more tolerant and just future. And while seemingly worlds apart from the direct economic empowerment sought through initiatives like African American skin care direct sale programs, both endeavors, in their own way, contribute to the ongoing journey towards racial equity and self-determination, highlighting the multifaceted nature of progress and the importance of addressing both historical legacies and contemporary opportunities within the African American community.
References
Boykin, K. (2002). Knipped in the butt: Protests close NYC drag ‘minstrel’ show. Retrieved from http://www.keithboykin.com/articles/shirleyq1.html.
Faulkner, J., Henderson, R., Fabry, F., & Miller, A.D. (1982). Ethnic notions: Black images In the white mind: An exhibition of racist stereotype and caricature from the collection of Janette Faulkner: September 12-November 4, 1982. Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Art Center. The images in this book inspired Marlon Riggs’ documentary, Ethnic Notions.
Kennedy, S. (1959/1990). Jim Crow guide: The way it was. Boca Raton, FL: Florida Atlantic University Press.
Macdonald, A., & Nix, D. (1978). The Turner diaries. Washington, D.C.: National Alliance.
Pilgrim, D. (Producer), & Rye, C. (Director). (2004). Jim Crow’s museum [Motion picture]. United States: Grim Rye Productions.
Riggs, M. (Producer/Director). (1987). Ethnic notions [Motion picture]. United States: Signifyin’ Works.
Robeson, P. (1958). Here I stand. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Woodward, C. V. (1974). The strange career of Jim Crow (3rd rev. ed). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. This book remains a classic critique of Jim Crow laws and etiquette.
